HiTech and Life

Shampoo prank

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 19:53:00 +0000

https://youtu.be/oVm7FkQI4BM

Lg Pocket Photo3 Popo Pd251 Portable Pocket Printer + Zink 30 Sheets Pink NEW

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 10:35:00 +0000

Synchronization support for Windows Phone 8.0 or higher, iOS v5.1 or higher, Android v2.2 or higher. No Ink required. Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Micro USB port for charging battery. Not NFC-enabled [Sticker Type] Zink Inkless Printing Embeds Color Into The Paper: 2 x 3" (7.6x5cm)

I bought this printer as a giddy for my mom. My mom lives crafting and taking pictures. She automatically fell in love with this printer and the quality of the pictures is great. She was getting her pictures printed at Walgreens and the quality was really poor. My mom is very happy with her printer and no money is needed for ink. Yes, no English instructions but the app is in English and very easy to use. My mom figured it out all on her own. I'm sure she recommends this printer to everyone in get crafting community.

Rollie Hands-Free Automatic Electric Vertical Nonstick Easy Quick Egg Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 06:38:00 +0000

Rollie, the innovative quick, simple and easy to use cooking system for every day convenience, and fun, bite size food product. No more having to bring out the frying pan, waiting for water to boil or have shells to peel. Discover a whole new way to prepare eggs and other tasty snacks in minutes! The Pop-Up Egg Maker is a fast and healthy way to cook eggs perfectly every time. Just crack an egg, pour it in and watch it get fully cooked in 6 to 8 minutes. Add cheese, onions, bacon etc. for a quick omelet on-a-stick. The unique vertical cooking chamber makes it easy to create dozens of fast and delicious treats for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert! Includes silicone grip, cleaning brush and instruction guide/recipe book.

Features

0% fat Cooking System is a simple and easy to use appliance.

Can cook eggs, omelet rolls, frittatas, and other foods, making it a great companion for breakfast or healthy snacks for the whole family.

Distinctive design cooks food with minimum counter space requirements and can be used anywhere.

Easy to use and clean

Cooks in Minutes and 2 easy steps

Healthy, Fun, Delicious

No shells to peel, No water to boil, No frying pan or stove

Indicator Lights: The red light will turn on when the appliance is powered on. When ready for use, the green light will turn on.

Cooking Chamber with a durable custom non-stick coating

Handling Surface: A non-slip, cool-touch, silicon grip for safe handling.

Package includes:

Cleaning Brush

Supporting Skewers

Food Packing Accessory

Owner manual with Over 25 Recipes.

How to make Espresso like professional barista at home

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 11:17:00 +0000

there is some cheffing instinct involved," says Jeremy Challender, a remarkably languid character for one whose life revolves around caffeine. But the co-founder of London's Prufrock cafe says that producing great espresso is "no more complicated than making bread". Get a recipe, then adjust it until you hit upon the shot of your dreams. The coffee served at Prufrock and several other cafes is now so good that despite shelling out £100 on a De Longhi machine, my home attempts are a bitter disappointment. I've come to up my game but the sheer coffee geekery here has me feeling out of my depth. A blackboard advertises a "milk texture" class (sold out) and in the training area, all polished counters and prototype Simonelli machines, Challender casually flings about such befuddling notions as brew ratios, volatile aromatic gasses and TDS (total dissolved solids). Some intense hours later, I emerge with the lowdown on getting the best out of any machine. The coffee Decent coffee, like the stuff Prufrock uses from London roasters Square Mile, comes with a roast date. "Between about nine and 11 days after roasting is when we get really excited about the taste," says Challender. Their standard espresso is made from capao, a Brazilian single-origin dark-roasted bean. Dark roasts tend to be more complex, with chocolate and caramel flavours; lighter roasts are more fruit and florals. The recipe The drink you end up with depends on water temperature, dose of dry coffee, amount of espresso you're making, the time it takes the machine to produce your shot, and grind consistency. You'll need a small set of digital scales, and a timer to record the recipe. Temperature Prufrock's machines are set to between 92C and 96C. Some domestic espresso machines don't hold their temperatures as consistently as commercial behemoths. Perfectionists can find instructions at home-barista.com for pimping machines with a precise temperature control (a PID). Or accept your limitations and get the rest right. The dose "We most like the taste of our 30ml double espresso," says Challender, "when it uses 18g dry coffee, so that's what the coffee baskets in Prufrock's machines comfortably hold." A traditional Italian 30ml double espresso is made with a 14g dose. Extraction and the grind Challender prefers the coffee when it takes 30 seconds to extract - that's 30 seconds between switching the water flow on and off again. Timing depends on achieving good grind, which requires frequent adjustment as no two batches of beans are the same and even a change to the temperature of your grinder burrs (burr grinders trump blade grinders for evenness of grind, and won't overheat and cook your coffee) will make the fineness fluctuate. You need full control. Perfecting your recipe All of the above differs according to your machine, coffee and palate, so experiment. Once happy, keep an eye on the extraction time – if it comes through quicker than usual, your grind's probably too coarse. Stove-top machines Mocha pots aren't great, says Challender, but at least use freshly roasted and ground coffee, with filtered, preheated water ("so the coffee doesn't get overexposed to such a humid environment") and clean the pot religiously. He recommends filter coffee, with "plungers, pour overs, siphons, Aeropress etc" using water two minutes off the boil, and 60g a litre for all filter coffees. Tip for perfection #1: Cleanliness If the coffee pours unevenly through its spouts, your basket probably needs cleaning. "Oily residue can really taint the taste of a coffee," says Challender. Tip for perfection #2: Tamping The hot water will seek easy channels through the coffee so the grains must be uniform for full saturation and an exemplary brew. Collect the right amount in your basket evenly, smooth the surface, then give a decisive, firm tamp. Tip for perfection #3: Preheat your group head Before attaching the portafilter (the basket and its handle) to the machine's group head, run the hot water for a few seconds to rinse and preheat it. … and finally: latte art Advertisement Whether you're working with a latte or its smaller, stronger cousin, the flat white, you don't need to aerate the milk as much as you would for a cappuccino. Rather than the whisked-egg-whites effect, you're after what Challender calls microfoam: "glassy-looking milk where the bubbles are so small you can't tell they're there". Always use cold milk. Purge any water that's condensed in your steamer (if your steam becomes watery over time, your machine probably needs descaling). Sit the steamer on the surface of your milk, slightly off centre so the milk starts to flow around it in a circular motion, rather than splattering uncontrollably. After a few seconds, when the milk has risen visibly, quickly submerge the steamer's tip, holding it half-way to the bottom of the jug to heat the milk until the side of the jug gets too hot to touch. A knock on the bottom should make a hollow sound, as perfectly cooked bread does. Use the milk within a minute, before it separates into liquid and foam. When making latte art, the thing to remember is that pouring milk close to the coffee's surface (about 2cm) will give you enough traction to float your microfoam on the surface. Milk poured from higher (5-10cm above the cup) will sink beneath the surface. First, give the jug a few bangs on your worktop if you see any big bubbles in the milk, then make like a wine taster and swirl it around. Top your coffee cup up to half way to two thirds full with milk before lowering your jug for the floating. Then zoom out again to use your "thin pen" to manipulate the foam you've floated on the surface. Confused? This is something you really need to learn visually and then practice. A lot.

Beats Solo2 Wireless On-Ear Headphone, Active Collection - Shock Yellow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 10:33:00 +0000

Break through the limitations of wired listening. Unplug your Solo2 Wireless, pair with your Bluetooth device and move freely for up to 30 feet of wireless listening. Take hands-free calls with the built in mic, and use the on-ear controls to adjust your listening experience without reaching for your device. Stay unplugged all day thanks to the 12-hour rechargeable battery. The illuminated LED fuel gauge on the headphone lets you know when it's time to recharge. Immerse yourself in an emotional sound experience. The Solo2 Wireless has a dynamic and wide range of sound with a natural clarity. The ear cup padding buffers outside noise, bringing you closer to what the artist intended you to hear. Regardless of what kind of music you're into, you will feel the crisp, balanced sound in your Solo2 Wireless. The Solo2 Wireless headphone's durable housing and compact, foldable design make it the ultimate on-the-go accessory. Whether you're on the subway, dancing in your living room, or at your desk, you won't have to worry about getting tangled up in cords. Plus, if you run out of power, plug in for unlimited wired listening. This premium headphone is ready for your life, wherever it may go. Engineered for comfort. Starting at the center of the flexible headband, the frame of the Solo2 Wireless has a one-of-a-kind curve that gives it a custom-fit feeling. The headphone's fast flowing curves, no visible screws, and pivoting ear cups complete this natural fit, ergonomically designed for optimal comfort and sound delivery. What's in the box: Solo2 Wireless headphone, Carrying case, Remote Talk 2.0 charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B),Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card.

MADE FOR LIFE ON THE GO

The Solo2 Wireless headphone’s durable housing and compact, foldable design make it the ultimate on-the-go accessory. Whether you’re on the subway, dancing in your living room, or at your desk, you won’t have to worry about getting tangled up in cords. Plus, if you run out of power, plug in for unlimited wired listening. This premium headphone is ready for your life, wherever it may go.

About Beats

Beats by Dr. Dre (Beats), is a leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Through its family of world-class consumer headphones, earphones, and speakers, Beats has introduced an entirely new generation to the possibilities of premium sound entertainment. The brand’s continued success helps bring the energy, emotion and excitement of playback in the recording studio back to the listening experience for music lovers worldwide. Beats was acquired by Apple Inc. in July 2014.

Here is the simple truth about Beats. They are not for everyone, if you are someone who very much enjoys all styles of music, and hearing the full, naked, pure, and unadulterated sound "as the artist planned it," these may not be the be-all-end-all of headphones for you. But these headphones don't promise that, so no one should be surprised they do things a little differently.

Personally, I have never classified myself as an audiophile, but I'm a musician and a singer, and my life has always been submersed in music of all kinds. So let's break this down into a couple categories.

COMFORT:
These headphones are on-ear style, not over the ear. I've never been much of a fan of the on-ear style, especially when they cost upwards of $300.
However... With the adjustable size, the soft touch material on the band and the leather earcups, these are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. Without hurting my head they stay snug and fit enough where I feel comfortable running with them.

STYLE:
If you are even considering Beats, style is a concern to you. I personally have always enjoyed the look of beats. The Solo2 Wireless only further that claim, they look expensive, but very clean with almost no sharp edges or harsh curves like some other headphones. I happened to buy the gloss black with subtle red accents, which was a mistake. Stay away from the glossy finishes, buy matte colors. I do not have particularly greasy fingers, yet I leave so many fingerprints, it drives me nuts. And yet still, they look amazing, and without the "pesky" headphone cord they are incredibly
compact.

BATTERY:
The battery for the Solo2 charges via a standard micro USB. It takes me about 2 hours to charge, and I've recorded around 11 hours of mixed music and audio call time. This is more than enough for me and most people to last a few days, but be weary of just leaving them on, it seems to drain more battery that way than if you were playing music, but that could just be my imagination. If you ever are in a pinch and you have to connect to a device without bluetooth or have no battery, you can always use the supplied in box cable which has audio controls integrated.

UNBOXING:
Usually I wouldn't touch much on this aspect of a product, but for these headphones, I had to. You've probably seen it and heard it before, but unboxing beats is magical. You feel like the $300 dollars was well spent as soon as you unzip the carrying case and pull out these beauties.
Everything feels and looks expensive and well made. One of my favorite unboxing experiences ever.

CALLS:
Calls sound OK on these headphones, the voice is clear enough and the mic I've been told is nothing too special, but they work for what I need and haven't missed a beat yet.

And finally, how do they sound?

QUALITY:
Here is where people will either be won over, or totally turned off by these headphones. The sound is loud, with an unbelieveable amount of bass. I listen to pop and dance music as I workout or write a paper, and paired with spotify's wonderful streaming quality, these headphones simply shine in my eyes. I am in no way saying that these headphones won't play classical music wonderfully, they simply just aren't the most optimized headphones for that job. The noise cancellation is very, very good. You are in your own little thumpin bubble if you have these on.

I love my Beats, and will continue to update this review as I continue to use them.

I am not endorsed by anyone, this is simply my opinion on my Beats Solo2 Wireless.

Hope this was helpful.

B&O Play by Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H5 Wireless Bluetooth Earbud Headphones, Moss Green

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Oct 2016 09:07:00 +0000

Beoplay H5 wireless earphones deliver an immersive listening experience with the power to take you anywhere. Conveniently pair them with your Bluetooth device to bring the beauty of music into your active everyday life. Whether you're out walking, listening to podcasts on your daily commute or relaxing at home with your favorite tunes, these wireless earbuds will deliver outstanding Bang & Olufsen signature sound to suit your activity. The Beoplay app lets you customize your listening experience via your smartphone or Apple watch to ensure you can enjoy music the way the artists intended. Combined with a splash and dust resistant design, these elegant Beoplay H5 earphones are as fashionable as they are functional. Inspired by Nordic nature, the effortlessly chic moss green tones of these wireless headphones evoke cool forest landscapes for a rich and earthy vibe perfectly suited to fall and winter musical escapes. To ensure Optimal fit and sound quality, each pair comes with seven sets of earbud tips in various sizes - four made from silicone and three made from rugged and breathable comply sport foam. When not in use, your wireless earphones can rest comfortably and securely around your neck - simply click the magnets on the earbuds together. Not only is this a convenient hands-free way to keep your earphones accessible, clicking them together will also cause them to power down and conserve battery life. When you're ready to recharge, the sleek magnetic USB charging cube quickly and easily provides up to five hours of power to meet up with the demands of your mobile lifestyle. I am a B&O fan in the making having purchased the Beoplay H8, Beolit 15, and now recently the Beoplay H5. Each of B&Os products, thus far, have been extremely aesthetically and functionally pleasing. With the announcement and of Beoplay H5, I kept a close eye out for the ratings and reviews. In the beginning, as I'm sure most of you all are, I was extremely skeptical about spending $250 for what seemed like a less than perfect pair of earphones. The consensus seemed to be: -earphones don't stay in your ear -braided cable rubbing against your clothes makes too much noise -magnetic clasp is not strong enough -there is not enough bass -not good earphones for working out -charging cable was not universal -amazing sound I'd like to give you my honest and unbiased opinion based on all of these statements. The most common complaint, the earphones don't stay in your ear: I am a 6' male with reasonably large ears. The B&O earphones fit perfectly in my ear with both types of earbuds provided. If you read the user manual provided about proper placement in the ear, just about anybody can get the earphones to fit. I can walk and run around with confidence; these earphones do not fall out. There are enough sizes to fit just about any ear, it just takes about a minute of your time to read the user manual. And honestly, the earbuds are the single most important factor when determining whether any earphone will stay in your ear. So, it makes sense if the earphone doesn't stay in, then you need to try a different ear tip. It just so happens that the ear tips are easily the least expensive part of the product. Sure some people may say, "I'm spending 250$ already for the product, so I expect it to be perfect!" But the fact of the matter is not everybody has the same ear dimensions, and a company can only do so much to try to cater to its vast audience. It's up to the consumer to optimize the product to their specific needs. The braided cable makes too much noise rubbing against your clothes: This is one of the complaints that I do agree with, somewhat. Due to the nature of the sturdy and stylish braided cable, there is a distinct sound that is made when rubbing against your clothes. Since the braid is connected to the ear piece, it makes sense that this sound would transfer to your ear. I do not agree with the claim that this makes the earphone completely unusable or unbearable, however. The only time I really noticed the "rubbing" sound is when the earphone is paused/off or when I am moving my head from side to side repeatedly in a short period of time, which is not at all common movement. Generally speaking, when I have the music at half volume and I'm moving around, I can barely notice the sound of the braid, if at all. The magnetic clasp isn't strong enough: The magnetic clasp is as strong as it needs to be. Unless you are planning on using the H5 whilst practicing gymnastics, the magnetic clasp is just strong enough to keep your earphones fastened when around your neck, but not too strong as to cause a struggle when you wish to use your earphones again. It also allows from a pretty stylish necklace when not in use, and a handy quick "off" feature. The bass isn't strong enough: If you're looking to listen to only bass heavy tracks, these earphones are probably not for you. But honestly if you are planning on listening to only bass heavy tracks, earphones in general are not the right choice for you. The H5 delivers extremely well balanced and reasonably strong and punchy bass. If you wish to play around with the EQ of the H5, you can easily download B&O's free app to do so. H5 doesn't seem good for working out: I've used the h5 a couple of times whilst lifting and the earphones worked perfectly for that task regard. No cords to worry about, and it never fell out of my ear once. I have also used the H5 whilst running and cross-fit, and whilst using the comply sports tips, I did not have much trouble with the earphones staying in my ear. I personally didn't have a problem with the earphones falling out when using the sports comply tips provided, but again it is up to the consumer to optimize the product to their specific needs. The charging cable isn't universal: I don't know any B&O consumers who wish to buy a "universal" product. I mean part of the experience is buying the eccentric and unique products. I think the charging cable is a perfect description of what the B&O experience really is. There were also many complaints that the charging cable didn't come with a USB to wall port. In this day and age, every phone comes with a USB to wall charging port. You will almost certainly have AT LEAST one, if not more, USB to wall ports available; and that's only if you'd like to charge your H5 from the wall. From my experience, I have not once even considered charging my H5 from anything other than my laptop just because of convenience. Also, the H5 is not the type of product you can use whilst charging, so USB to wall seems like more of a burden than a luxury. The H5 sounds amazing: The H5 sounds amazing. By far the best earphone on the market in terms of premium sound quality. As an owner of an H8 and various other headphones, I can honestly say that if the H5 had come out before I purchased my H8, and other headphones, that I would seriously consider taking the H5 over many other headphones. The H5 sounds that good. In my opinion, I believe the 250$ price point is completely justified due to the fact that it can hold its own against many premium headphones on the market. All in all, the H5 is a stylish and well designed product that I would give a must buy for music audiophiles and music enthusiasts. I believe much of the bad press that the H5 is getting is due to the consumer's unwillingness to experiment with alternative ear tips/read the user manual.

High Tech Pet Humane Contain X-10 Rechargeable Multi-function Electronic Dog Fence

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Oct 2016 13:14:00 +0000

The Humane Contain Model X-10 rechargeable multi-function electronic dog fence brings you the most advanced electronic fence technology for highly humane and extremely reliable operation. You don't need to guess the appropriate stimulus intensity. This system does not rely on manual stimulus levels or stimulus zones. It uses the Pulsed Proportional Stimulus System, a proprietary technology that automatically adjusts stimulus intensity based upon your dog's distance from the boundary. This keeps your dog reliably contained without unnecessary over-stimulation. The waterproof, lightweight, ultra-slim collar has a rechargeable battery. The collar also features an ultrasonic transmitter that controls optional electronic pet doors, indoor and outdoor sonic fences and scat pad accessories from High Tech Pet. You may use this product as a stand-alone electronic fence or mix and match the accessories to create your own custom electronic pet care system. One small collar controls everything. The system comes with a waterproof, outdoor mountable transmitter with coded digital signal, fully illuminated status panel, audible and visual wire break alarms, power boost switch and variable field width control. The transmitter also accepts an optional, rechargeable back-up battery (model B-12V-0.8) that keeps your system operational during a power outage and automatically recharges when power is restored. Kit includes TX-1 transmitter, RX-10 multi-function collar, collar charger, 500-feet of Ultra-Wire, 50 boundary flags, 5 wire splices, AC adapter for transmitter and AC adapter for charger.

I purchased the High Tech Pet Humane Contain X-10 Rechargeable Multi-function Electronic Dog Fence which is essentially the same product with a more advanced collar to be able to operate all the products High Tech Pet has. I am NOT a fan of electric fences for dogs, however, I have a stubborn Siberian who kept escaping our yard and running over to the neighbors and killing their cats. We had to do something. (Our physical fence is 8 feet high and has a two stage barrier, meaning she has to get past a security fence placed around the original fence. Rebar was placed 4 inches appart along the bottom of the fence and she was still escaping [we live on 5 acres]).Setup took 2 hours and the RX-10 collar was charged out of the box. I know this because I tested it on myself several times before putting it on my dog. I am a trainer myself and will not use negative stimulus training unless I know the extent of the correction. Once setup, we showed my Siberian the boundaries and she would get the minor pulse and be confused. I decided to let her off leash and feel the full correction. She went to her usual spot and was corrected at full intensity (she needed it, trust me). She has never tried to test the boundaries again, as long as she is wearing the collar. In defense of your comment, the instrructions are not very clear as to how to charge the battery. At one point it says to charge it with the unit on, then at another with the unit off. I found it charges best with the unit off. My only other problem with the collar is there is no way to just make it beep, since once she had the full correction, she no longer needed the correction. The tech support was worthless as is with most products on the market today. I hope the Pet Safe works for you. Without the Humane Contain, I might have had to build a permanent kennel for my Sibe.

AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones,Wireless Sport HiFi Stereo In-Ear Headset Hands Free Calls Sweatproof Running Earphones Neckband Music Earbuds Noise Cancelling Ear Hook for iPhone 7/6 Samsung(Black)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 10:47:00 +0000

HD-Sound:Carrying with bluetooth V4.1,which with comprehensive downward compatibility and delivers astonishing acoustics,strong bluetooth signal,real noise cancelling and invisible built-in microphone provide you clear and stereo sound Retractable Earhook:The flexible ear hooks design holds your wireless headphones during running or workouts. Unique 0.4 inch space adjusts the Earphones to find proper position for your ears. 4 pairs/8 pcs of Ear Buds,which is suitable for men and women Hands Free Calls:When comes the calls,you can press the Phone button to answer/reject/finish the calls easily.Answer or Reject the 2rd phone by double pressing the Phone button Ergonomic Design:Fashional ergonomic design and flexible earbuds design,lightweight in-ear style make activities more comfortable Multipoint Connection:the headset can connect 2 devices at the same time and change connection freely after your first connection,which will not miss any calls. Product Description Color:NO.01 Unique neckband design for sport conveniently Ultra light weight for wearing more comfortablely High quality sound for clear talk and wonderful music Buttons: -Press the button '-' to decrease the volume or change to next music -Press the button '+' to increase the volume or change to previous music -Press the PHONE button to answer ,reject ,pause ,transfer and finish calls Pairing Mode: Press the power on button until the reminder voice rings!Or the red and blue light flashes alternately! Pairing: a. Pressing PHONE button to power on your headset for 3-10 seconds,bluetooth headset can be paired when the red and green instruction light flashes alternately. b. Opening the bluetooth of your cellphone,then searching for the headset and pair. c. Power off your headset and keeping the cellphone connected d. Pressing PHONE button to power on your headset for 8-10 seconds again,opening your second bluetooth devices and pair with the headset e .Keeping your headset connected with the second devices,pairing again with the first devices directly,then your bluetooth has finished connection of 2 devices at the same. Specification: Bluetooth version: V4.1 Transmission distance: Up to 10m (30feet) Bluetooth profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP,SPP Talk/music playtime: Approximately 8 hours Standby Time :180 hours Charging time:2 hours Charging Voltage:DV 5V Output 150mA What's in the Package? 1 x AMAKE SP-6 Bluetooth In-Ear Headphones; 1 x Micro USB Charging Cable; 4 pairs / 8pcs Ear-Tips; 1 x User Manual Read Costumer reviews By Jessamess on August 15, 2016 AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones are a blessing to my workouts. I have been looking for a solution to keep my phone clean and sweat free during my workouts and this is it. Before I received these headphones I would keep my phone in my sports bra so the cord to my headphones would reach my ears; in turn my phone would get covered in sweat to a point where the touch screen on my phone was unusable. The AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones are wireless so I can keep my phone in my bag away from sweat and the dirty gym. I was impressed with the packaging, the headphones came in a hard tube where in the tube each piece in it’s respective plastic mold securely. These headphones allow me to control my music by just tapping on the buttons on the earpiece. There is an On/Off Button, a Next and a Previous Button that you can use to change the song selection or change the volume. The earpieces are adjustable which is a great feature, The headphones also come with 4 pairs of earbuds that you can choose from depending on what you are comfortable with. The first step was charging it it comes with a wire where one end is a USB the other connects to the earpiece. I simply connected the USB end to a wall adapter i previously had and let the headphones charge for 2 hours. The charge also lasts for a while considering I was working out for two hours and only used about a quarter of the battery life. Another neat feature is the battery life of the headphones can be seen right next to the bluetooth symbol on the top right of the screen on my phone. After I let the headphones charge I began to sync them to the Bluetooth on my phone; a task I was slightly apprehensive about. The instructor put my apprehensions at ease and I had the Bluetooth setup in under five minutes. A nice feature to the AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones is when you power on or off there is a voice that tells you it is on or off when you press the button. The sound quality on these headphones are amazing I feel like I am at a concert when I am listening to music on my AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones. The Wireless headphones are lightweight and the wire sits comfortably around the back of the neck as if it wasn't there at all. I ordered the purple pair of AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones I am pleased with the color they are very stylish. These headphones make my workouts easier in fact it motivates me to workout more. My boxing routine is a breeze since I don’t have to worry about where I am keeping my phone while I listen to music. I can see myself using the AMAKE Bluetooth Headphones not just for working out but for painting or lounging by the pool. * I have received this product as a free promotion in exchange for my honest unbiased review. My opinions are my own and they are given after I personally have used and experienced the product.*

Nikon Coolpix L340 20.2 MP Digital Camera with 28x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:26:00 +0000

If you are looking for a snapshot camera that can pretty much do it all, this Nikon Coolpix L330 is worthy of your consideration. I am a camera nut and own both full-size Nikon SLRs (my present one is the Nikon D5300) as well as small pocket cameras. This L330 is essentially a hybrid between the two -- it is small (and light) enough to be easily carried, and yet has a large and powerful lens that can do many things better than a true pocket camera.

The outstanding characteristic of this camera is the lens. The lens features a much larger objective lens than any pocket camera, which means that it is capturing more light for more detail and sharper shots. For taking still pictures, for example, I notice a clear difference in favor of this camera in comparison to my Canon pocket camera. The 26X optical zoom really makes this camera a "do all" for both landscape shots, portraits, and many other kinds of shooting. Like all cameras of this class, this one is probably not the camera to use for action shots such as flying birds or football games, although it may do in a pinch.

Ergonomically this camera is well thought-out. I was able to pretty much completely figure this camera out without resorting to the manual, which is a good thing as the manual is nearly useless. Most users should simply spend 20 minutes browsing through the camera menus; this will adequately familiarize most users with the camera. (The manual is very rudimentary.) Frankly, you can put most settings on "auto" and do just fine with this camera. The viewfinder shows both shutter speed and F/stop, which is a nice feature for more advanced shooters. The flash is easy to use and is pretty good for a flash of this class. I took night party shots with it and it functioned about as well as any on-board flash that I have used. The overall fit-and-finish of this camera is excellent, as one expects from Nikon. This is an all-plastic camera, which is good as it makes the camera nice and light, while still adequately sturdy for almost all users.

As seems to be the remorseless trend in camera design, this camera does not have an optical viewfinder; it uses the rear LED screen for framing shots. I am against this trend, as this can present problems in bright sunlight. But all camera manufacturers seem determined that for cameras of this class they are eliminating optical viewfinders. A shame, in my futile opinion. I will say that the LED on this camera is nice and bright and does about as good a job as you can expect for this type of screen.

The maximum shutter speed on this camera is 1/500 which is adequate for action shots in bright sunlight; you can forget about indoor sports or other indoor speed shots though; the lens here is simply not fast enough. This camera will not yield satisfactory results for snapshots of indoor basketball games, for example. The continuous shooting speed on this camera is 1/FPS which is really not fast enough for wildlife shots in my opinion, but it is better than nothing.

This camera takes excellent photos wherever there is adequate light. For night shots you will be cranking up the ISO setting (with the resultant graininess) or using the flash. Either approach can yield decent photos although in practice I found night shots to be somewhat tricky. Fortunately you can immediately review a photo and re-take it most times if it turns out unsatisfactorily. Sure beats the film days.

I am very pleased that this camera uses 4 AA batteries. Firstly, AA batteries are ubiquitous; always available on vacations and my family always packs a bunch of them on trips. The 4 AA batteries that power this camera give a LOT of shots -- I am on 500 and still going; many using the flash. I am very pleased that Nikon eschewed using those puny little AAA batteries for this camera. The AA battery bank gives this camera lots of juice; the flash recycles pretty fast, does not drain the camera quickly, and the camera just keeps chugging along. This was a very good design choice by Nikon in my opinion.

This camera takes 720p movies. I have not used mine much for this so my review will not cover this feature.

Overall, this is an excellent camera for its class and will outperform true pocket cameras. It is small enough to be much less a chore to carry than a full-blown SLR such as my trusty D5300, and takes really good photos within its limitations. This is a good choice for family trips, portraits, or industrial/business use. There is a lot of camera here in a small package, and it is very easy to use. Recommended. RJB.

Nikon Coolpix L340 20.2 MP Digital Camera with 28x Optical Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 14:26:00 +0000

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6s: What's the difference and should I upgrade?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:54:00 +0000

Now that Apple has finally announced the iPhone 6s, answers to the big 'should I upgrade now or wait for another year?' question start to emerge. As is now tradition, the 'tock' of Apple's tick-tock update cycle sees the iPhone 6s retain the same design as its predecessor, but with some key upgrades.

As you can see from the spec box on the right, on the surface very little has changed for the new iPhone 6s. But the 3D Touch technology is what really separates the two handsets. Apple has implemented 3D Touch into almost every aspect of iOS 9 – and feedback from the iPhone 6s' haptic engine (vibration motor) has been tuned to be more accurate.

It is disappointing to see Apple sticking with 16GB of storage for the base model of the iPhone 6s, when sure an increase to 32GB isn't too much to ask – especially since that is what you get from Samsung and Sony these days.

iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6: Display

The biggest different between the iPhone 6 and new iPhone 6s is their screens. They both measure 4.7in and have a resolution of 750 x 1334, but the major update here is 3D Touch. A development of Force Touch on the Apple Watch and newest MacBooks, 3D Touch knows how much pressure you are putting on the screen. This gives developers a whole new set of gestures to work and make their applications (and games) react to.

Apple has embedded 3D Touch deeply into the new iPhones' iOS 9 software, where it can be used to 'peak' at content such as the contents of message and links.

iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6: Design

As is usual for Apple's 's' upgrade the new iPhone is almost identical to the year-old iPhone 6. The only real change is the use of a stronger 7,000 series aluminium to reduce the risk of the phone bending when sat on in your pocket; this adds a fraction of a millimetre to the thickness of the handset (0.3mm to be precise, taking the iPhone 6s up to 7.1mm). Otherwise you will be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two phones – good news for iPhone 6 owners not wanting to look out of date, bad news for any 6s buyers hoping to stand out.

Although the design is unchanged, Apple has introduced a new rose gold colour for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, which complements the equally new rose gold and regular gold Apple Watch Sport.

iPhone 6s 4k video
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can now shoot 4K video with their 12-megapixel rear camerasApple
iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6: Camera

Another noticeable improvement is the new iPhone's camera. At 12MP it has a larger sensor than the 8MP iPhone 6, and Apple has worked hard to improve the way it uses every single one of those pixels. After explaining each improvement, Apple eventually resorted to assuring us that the 6s's camera is much better, and that's all we need to know.

A new software feature of the 's' phones is Live Photos, where the camera records a second of video before and after you take each photo, which can then be played to help bring an image to life. This feature isn't a million miles away from the animated photographs seen in the Harry Potter films.

As for video, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus can now shoot 4K video – a first for any Apple handset. The front camera has also been improved, up from just 1.2MP on the iPhone 6 to a much more respectable 5MP on the iPhone 6s.

iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6: Processor and storage

Apple will have upset many by yet again failing to increase the minimum iPhone storage from 16GB to 32GB. The new iPhone 6s gets the same storage options as its year-old predecessor – 16GB, 64GB and 128GB. As has always been the case with iPhones, the new model does not include a microSD card slot to increase this. Apple will point to its iCloud online storage system as an alternative to storing files on the phone itself, but for areas of poor 4G coverage – or for customers with a low monthly data cap – this will not be seen as an adequate solution.

Highlights: Apple iPhone 6S, iPad Pro and Apple TV announcementIBTimes UK
iPhone 6s vs iPhone 6: Price

The iPhone 6s is priced at £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and £699 for the 128GB model. iPhone 6s Plus will be available for a suggested retail price of £619 for the 16GB model, £699 for the 64GB model and £789 for the 128GB model.

These are all broadly the same as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus when they first went on sale a year ago.

Samsung galaxy s7 edge review

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 16:11:00 +0000

Introduction
Pushed way out of its comfort zone and into a high-stakes flagship redesign last season, Samsung's back to what it does best -- making itself comfortable at the top of the heap. OK, it sounds like a bold claim but by no means incredible if you've seen the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

Yet, this isn't exactly a galaxy far, far away. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge looks a lot like its predecessor, and we've heard a lot of people calling it the same device. Can't blame them really - Samsung indeed focused on refinement this time around and if you caught our regular Galaxy S7 review, you'd know we liked what they come up with.

Anyway, the real deal is on the inside. If only you look at the features it brings back, such as water protection and a microSD slot, you may conclude that the Galaxy S7 edge is what the S6 edge should've been.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
But that's not where the hardware novelties end. We paid due attention to the camera in our MWC coverage and the review of the vanilla Galaxy S7 to conclude that the dual pixel autofocus, wider aperture and bigger pixel size more than make up for the lower sensor resolution.

The new flagship wouldn't have done without an engine upgrade - we guess Qualcomm's return as a chipset supplier is another sign of things getting back to normal after the Project Zero coup. The Galaxy S7 pair is powered by either Snapdragon 820, or the latest Exynos 8890, each with 4GB of RAM.

There is a bigger display with an always-on option, and a more robust battery too. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge runs the latest Android of course, skinned with the latest TouchWiz.

Key features
Curved 5.5" Super AMOLED display of 1440p resolution; 534ppi; Always On capabilities;
Gorilla Glass 4 front and rear panels
IP68 certified - dust proof and water resistant
USA model: Snapdragon 820 chipset - quad-core Kryo processor (2x 2.15GHz and 2x 1.6GHz cores); Adreno 530 GPU; 4GB of RAM
Global model: Exynos 8890 chipset - octa-core processor with four 2.6GHz Mongoose and four 1.6GHz Cortex-A53 cores; Mali-T880 MP12 GPU; 4GB of RAM
12MP f/1.7 main camera with phase detect autofocus, optical image stabilization, LED flash
2160p video at 30fps; 1080p@60fps; 720p@240fps; HDR
5MP f/1.7 front-facing camera, 1440p video recording at 30fps
32/64GB of built-in storage; microSD slot up to 200GB
Cat.9 4G LTE (450Mbps); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+, NFC; GPS, GLONASS and Beidou
Heart-rate monitor, barometer, SpO2 sensor
Wireless charging (Qi/PMA)
3,600 mAh non-removable battery, fast charging
Main disadvantages
Hefty price tag
Sealed battery
No IR blaster or FM radio (except for T-Mobile units in the US, so far)
Samsung did well to bring back two of the most valued features - the microSD slot and water protection but the new design precludes any way of accessing the battery outside an authorized service center. The FM radio and IR blaster are gone for some reason at least in our Exynos version of the handset.

Update: A software update has enabled the FM radio at least on T-Mobile S7/S7 edge in the US. It turns out the FM receiver hardware has always been there and was just not enabled at launch. The T-Mobile units are powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset, so technically the option is there for all variants running on Qualcomm's chip. Our international unit, however, runs on the Exynos 8890 and so far we haven't heard of FM radio enabling update (if there ever will be one).

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Now, whatever deals there may have been in the debut week - including a free Gear VR headset - the Galaxy S7 edge remains among the most expensive mass-produced phones right now. But if Apple can charge as much, no harm in Samsung trying as well.

So, what is the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge really made of and is it worth the asking price? Read on as we try to find out!

Unboxing the Galaxy S7 edge
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge comes in a cool black box, which holds a fast-charge-enabled AC adapter, a microUSB cable, the new Samsung headphones, and a microUSB-to-USB adapter. The small thingy came as a surprise to us, but we found it quite helpful - it enables USB OTG letting you connect peripherals and even charge other devices.

The retail package contents - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The retail package contents - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The retail package contents - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The retail package contents

The headphones are the same as the ones shipping with the Galaxy S6 edge.

Galaxy S7 edge 360-degree spin
This season's S7 lineup looks pretty much like their predecessors but Samsung's decision to give the edge model more screen real estate makes sense. Users are given a choice between a 5.5" phablet with a dual-edge curved display and a standard 5.1" screen. The identical display size last year nearly defied the purpose of having a pair of flagships competing against each other.

The new Galaxy S7 edge measures 150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7mm. That's 8mm taller and 2mm wider than the S6 edge, and 3mm shorter and narrower than the S6 edge+. These two are a good reference considering the S7 edge sits right between in terms of screen size. The S7 edge weighs 153 grams, which is reasonable for a device of its caliber, yet a good 25g heavier than its predecessor.

Design and build quality
So, Samsung is in a way giving the Galaxy S7 edge more responsibilities than to just be the cooler S7 sibling. The 5.5" phablet is giving the S7 series more depth (different user bases) and the regular Galaxy S7 will probably have more breathing space than the S6 last year. That said, Samsung will probably skip the edge+ this time around.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
With a metal frame bordering the curved 5.5" Super AMOLED screen, and a sheet of curved Gorilla Glass 4 either side, the Galaxy S7 edge is, upon a casual glance, a scaled up S6 edge.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (5.5 Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (5.5 Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (5.5 Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (5.5
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (5.5") flanked by the S6 edge+ (5.7") and S6 edge (5.1")

But why change, when the Galaxy S6 edge is still one of the best looking devices in the market. The Galaxy S7 edge benefits from some minor touches, mostly in how the contour of the frame and the screen curves feel against your fingertips.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Samsung Galaxy S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Samsung Galaxy S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Samsung Galaxy S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

So, yes, it's last year's design but still gorgeous - and this year's onyx black flavor certainly helps appreciate it even more.

The S7 edge next to S6 edge and iPhone 6s Plus - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The edge phones do stand out - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The S7 edge compared to S6 edge+ - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The backs are similar - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The S7 edge next to S6 edge and iPhone 6s Plus • The edge phones do stand out • The S7 edge compared to S6 edge+ • The backs are similar

If you passed on the S6 on account of the missing water-proofing, the Galaxy S7 edge is IP68-certified, which means it can survive at 1.5m deep for up to 30 minutes. Even without extra flaps, both the audio jack and the microUSB port are waterproofed. The charging port has moisture detection however and won't let you charge the phone if the pins are wet.

The ports have no flaps - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The mics are also water-proof - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The SIM/SD slot is protected by rubber - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The ports have no flaps • The mics are also water-proof • The SIM/SD slot is protected by rubber

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is a stunner but this comes at a price. The dual glass design calls for handling with extra care and any sort of a protection case will inevitably cost some style points.

It's the handling though that raises a little more concern, especially with the bigger screen - and therefore bigger overall footprint. The phone can be quite hard to pick up from a table because of its dual edge design - glass on the sides has hardly any grip.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Worse yet, it seemed our unit needed, at the very least, some tweaking of the palm rejection algorithm. With a hand wrapped around the phone, the S7 edge occasionally detected the palm against the sides rather than taps on screen when trying to make a call, or hit links in the browser. This was particularly aggravating at the few occasions when we needed to pick up the phone and answer a call for example.

This could've been only our unit but other than that, the feel of a curvy, smooth and cold Galaxy S7 edge is almost unrivaled.

Handling the S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Handling the S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Handling the S7 edge

Now, that's something you'll lose if you opt for a bumper case, which however will surely pay off in the long run. We're sure the slightest damage inflicted on a beautiful device like the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge would be bitterly regretted.

Controls
If you are familiar with the Galaxy S6 or S6 edge, there will be no secrets on the S7 edge for you, as all the controls are pretty much identical.

Most of the front is occupied by the 5.5" display, which has even less bezel than the S6 edge's screen. Up above is the earpiece, with the familiar bunch of sensors, a status LED, and the 5MP selfie camera.

Above and below the screen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Above and below the screen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Above and below the screen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Above and below the screen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Above and below the screen

Below the screen is the familiar button layout: the hardware Home Key/fingerprint reader combo, surrounded but the capacitive Back and Task Switcher keys.

The metal Power/Lock set is on the right while the volume keys are on the left.

The right side - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The Power Key - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The left side - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The volume keys - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The right side • The Power Key • The left side • The volume keys

The top has the second mic and the card slot. The latter accommodates both nano-SIM and microSD cards and is secured with rubber gasket.

There is no IR blaster this time around, so no remote control duties on the S7 edge.

The audio jack, microUSB port, the primary mic, and the loudspeaker are all at the bottom.

The top of the S7 edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The nano-SIM and microSD beds - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The bottom - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The microUSB port - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The top of the S7 edge • The nano-SIM and microSD beds • The bottom • The microUSB port

Finally, the new 12MP camera is on the back, still accounting for a small hump, but a lot less conspicuous than on the previous generation. Its companions are, as usual, a single LED flash and a heart-rate sensor.

The camera hump is much smaller now - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review The camera hump is much smaller now - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review

Display
The Super AMOLED screen is now bigger at 5.5", but the dual-edge design and minimal bezel keep the illusion of a much more compact handset. In fact, just put it next to the iPhone 6s Plus, which also has a 5.5" screen diagonal and you'll see the amazing difference in footprint for yourself.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The curve on the side is fairly minor, and the left and right edges of the screen remain mostly usable. The bezels are about 2mm thinner than we left them on the S6 edge, which is nice.

The Quad HD (1,440 x 2,560) resolution may have looked like an overkill on the Galaxy S6 series, but it's a mandatory feature for the S7 lineup. Samsung's push toward VR certainly needs every pixel available so Quad HD is perhaps the meaningful, if not the minimum, screen resolution for a pleasant experience with the Oculus-powered Gear VR headset.

Using the Galaxy S7 edge with a Gear VR is quite an impressive experience especially at first, and will get better with more and relevant content. Right now, there are plenty of photos, videos, and movies available for you to explore, and quite a few games. To be fair, however, individual pixels were visible in spite of the Quad HD resolution and the high 534ppi. Optical focusing issues seem to be another issue with some users at this stage to the point where they are not able to focus the image. It surely is promising, buy we can't wait to see GearVR Generation 2.0 whenever it comes out.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The Galaxy S7 edge has the same maximum screen brightness as the S7 when you push manually the brightness slider all the way to the right. In overdrive mode, which kicks in under bright sunlight if you have Auto brightness ON, it goes quite a bit higher than the S7 to 610nits.

The minimum display brightness is 1.8nits, which is perfectly suitable for late-night reading in a dark room and it's even a bit lower than the S7.

Color accuracy of the screen is top notch as long as you opt for the Basic display mode. The other available modes make colors pop but they are nowhere near as color accurate as Basic (Average DeltaE 2000 of 0.8 and Max DeltaE of 1.5). For comparison, the Avg DeltaE in Adaptive mode is 7.2.

Display test100% brightness
Black, cd/m2White, cd/m2Contrast ratio
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge0.00392∞
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge max auto0.00610∞
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge0.00313∞
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge max auto0.00601∞
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+-410∞
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ max auto-540-
Samsung Galaxy S70.00391∞
Apple iPhone 6s Plus0.435901382
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium0.59566966
LG G40.435321238
Xiaomi Mi 50.516281227
The Galaxy S7 edge aced our sunlight legibility test, which means hasslе-free display performance even under bright sunlight. The score is pretty much the same as the Galaxy S7's, but a whisker lower than the S6 edge+'s.

Sunlight contrast ratio
Sort by LabelSort by ValueExpand
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+4.615
Samsung Galaxy S7 edge4.439
Samsung Galaxy S74.376
Samsung Galaxy S64.124
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge4.124
Samsung Galaxy S53.549
The curved sides of the display do reflect the light differently so sometimes there are brighter reflections there. It's not enough to be an issue, though.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge battery life
Battery capacity is one more key area where Samsung gives you more than with the Galaxy S7. The smartphone packs a 3,600mAh power bank, a substantial increase over the S6 edge's 2,600mAh and the S7's 3,000 mAh capacity. Okay, the battery is still sealed, but that's a lot easier to live with when there's simply more of it.

It's also quick to charge, even if the S7 edge only supports Qualcomm's QuickCharge 2.0 standard and not the latest version 3.0. Samsung promises 0 to 100% in 90min for the S7, but doesn't say just how rapidly those percentages climb from flat to, say, 70% where it starts to taper off.

Much like the company's last-year flagships, the Galaxy S7 edge is also capable of wireless charging with pads compliant with both Qi and PMA. Samsung will also sell you a fast wireless charging pad, which can fill up the battery nearly as fast as a cable will.

Now, let's move on to our test results, where the S7 edge does indeed outlast its predecessor and its smaller sibling. A day of voice calls on a 3G network is five hours more than the S6 edge, and the 20 hours of video playback are about 8 on top of last year's model, and an impressive achievement in its own right. Such usage pattern is of course entirely artificial, but we've established it so our battery results are comparable across devices.

Its web browsing also went up with 2 and a half hours up to 13 and a half hours with the built-in TouchWiz browser.

The Always On display feature was always going to be a battery drainer, no two ways about it. Samsung's claim that it would cost you 1% per hour seems about right and it does leave a huge impact on the overall endurance rating. That's because our proprietary score also includes a standby battery draw test, which we carried out with the AOD off and then once again with AOD on. These results are not featured in our test scorecard but are calculated in the total rating.

Since its launch, the AOD setting has been optimized and now allows you to schedule times to activate it. Of course, your mileage will vary depending on how long you keep the phone out of your pocket.

The Galaxy S7 edge did splendidly with an Endurance rating of 98 hours - that's the amount of time the S7 edge would last on a single charge if you use it for an hour of 3G calls, an hour of web browsing, and an hour of video playback each day. Turning on the AOD drops the rating down to 67 hours - a huge impact, but still a good score - that's few hours short of three days.

Finally, if you want to use the Edge feeds, which require the screen to sustain the capacitive sensors always on, you will lose additional 7 hours, bringing the total endurance down to 60 hours.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Update: We've managed to acquire the Snapdragon 820 flavor of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and we re-ran our battery routine. The call test was alright, but the video and web battery tests dropped down by 20%. The standby endurance turned out a tad lesser than the Exynos model, and thus the final battery rating dropped down to 87 hours. If you want to use the Always-On Display, then the rating is reduced further down to 63 hours. While we are not happy by the 10% drop in the final score, 87 hours is still quite a respectable number for a flagship like the S7 edge.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.

Connectivity
Samsung's Exynos 8890 chipset is paired with an LTE Cat. 9 modem. Theoretical maximums are 450Mbps of downlink and 50Mbps of uplink. If you have access to an HSPA network only, you'll get a maximum of 42Mbps and 5.76Mbps respectively.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge supports Wi-Fi ac networks for fast local connectivity. Wi-Fi, a/b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks are also supported, of course. Then there's Bluetooth 4.2 LE (for smartwatches, sport sensors and such) and apt-X codec (for high-quality audio streaming).

NFC support is enabled, used for Samsung Pay, as well as for pairing with other devices and reading NFC tags as well.

The microUSB 2.0 port on the bottom of the phone supports fast charging and regular USB 2.0 transfer speeds. With the included adapter you can easily use the USB Host and OTG support, connect a mouse or a keyboard, USB flash sticks, or just use the Galaxy S7 edge as a power bank.

We noticed the Galaxy S7 edge lacks MHL support, which should render wired TV-out impossible. But the wireless options are there.

User interface
The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge runs a TouchWiz-skinned Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and is among the company's first smartphones to offer it right out of the box. The Marshmallow OS has native support for fingerprint readers, app manager, Doze mode, among other tweaks.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The fingerprint reader used on the S7 edge is the same as the one on the Galaxy S6 and Note5. It recognizes a finger in under a second. All it takes to unlock the phone is to press the Home key and leave your finger for a moment longer while the fingerprint reader does its thing.

The lockscreen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review fingerprint protection - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review fingerprint protection - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review fingerprint protection - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The lockscreen • fingerprint protection

The screen features a new Always-On function, which is said to draw 1% battery charge per hour. Besides the time and date, and missed notifications, the screen shows a subtle wallpaper to make things a little fancier. You can download additional always-on themes from the store.

You can set up a time period, during which the feature will be on - if it overlaps with the Night Clock function below, the Night Clock will take precedence.

Always on display settings - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Preloaded AOD skins - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Night clock - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review AOD in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review AOD with calendar - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Always on display settings • Preloaded AOD skins • Night clock • AOD in action • AOD with calendar

The Night Clock is also part of the Always-on Display feature now - it can replace the big clock with the edged Night Clock at night. This way the screen will be less lit and more pleasant for the eyes in the dark.

AOD wallpaper - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Different AOD styles - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Different AOD styles - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Different AOD styles - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Different AOD styles - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
AOD wallpaper • Different AOD styles

Size aside, the homescreen is perfectly identical to the TouchWiz home of other Samsung phones. Even the number of columns is the same - 5 icons in a row, same as the S6.

Homescreen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Homescreen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review upday - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review App drawer - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Homescreen settings - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Homescreen • Homescreen • upday • App drawer • Homescreen settings

Depending on where you are in the world, your leftmost homescreen would be either the Flipboard-powered Briefing or a new service called Upday (this is the one we got on our international unit). The two do pretty much the same thing – they aggregate news according to a pre-defined list of interests.

Upday in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Upday in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Upday in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Upday in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Upday in action

The Notification area is pretty busy by default. It starts with a scrollable line of quick toggles on top, then a brightness slider, then the Quick connect button. You can hide the latter from the Edit option, which also lets you re-arrange the quick toggles.

Notification area - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Modifying the notification area - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Modifying the notification area - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Notification area • Modifying the notification area

The Galaxy S7 edge user interface is fully themeable. We only got one theme pre-installed, but the Theme store has many more to download. By the way, there is an option to disable the app drawer, so you may want to give it a try.

Themes - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Themes - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Themes - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Themes - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Themes

Split-screen multitasking is supported on the S7 edge, and the 5.5" screen was born to do it. Even at half a screen, apps get plenty of room (Material design likes a lot of padding though). As always, only supported apps can work in split-screen, but Samsung's implementation is the most widely supported. Floating app windows are supported for some apps, too.

App switcher - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Split-screen mode - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Floating window - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
App switcher • Split-screen mode • Floating window

Some cool gestures are available for the Galaxy S7 edge - you can flip the phone for mute, swipe your palm for screenshot, double-tap the Home key for quick camera access, quick call, among others.

The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge comes free of bloatware, but has a few Microsoft apps pre-installed (MS Office, OneDrive with 100GB for 2-years, Skype). The phone starts with 32GB, but a quarter of that (7.5GB) is left to the system. You can get rid of the MS apps and some of the Google's apps (Drive, Photos, Hangouts), and you can free up additional 500MB.

Long story short - once we were done setting up our accounts, installed the necessary social apps, three games, and seven benchmarks (about 1.5GB of size), we were left with 20GB free space in total.

Game Launcher
Samsung Game Launcher is a new app/service, which groups all of your games at one place. But that's just the beginning. The Game Launcher has a few powerful tricks, some of them a must have for avid games.

First, the Game Launcher has two Power Saving game modes - Save Power and Save Maximum Power. The Save Power options caps the frame rate at 30fps (instead of 60fps), and lowers the resolution. The Maximum mode furtherly lowers the resolution in addition to the 30fps cap.

Game launcher app on the homescreen - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Game Launcher - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Power Saving modes - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Game launcher app on the homescreen • Game Launcher • Power Saving modes

Next, the Game Launcher has its own DND mode - you can disable all alerts during a game.

Finally, there is the Game Tools key. It's a small floating virtual key you can position pretty much anywhere on the screen. Once tapped, it reveals additional actions such as No Alerts, Lock Recent and Back keys, Minimize Game, Take Screenshot, and Record.

Game Tools within a game - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Game Tools within a game - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Game Tools within a game - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Game Tools within a game

Locking the capacitive keys is crucial for a seamless game experience, as we found ourselves closing accidentally a game two times in just under five minutes!

Game Tools options - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Game Tools options - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Game Tools options

The Record option is rather interesting. It captures a video of your game, but you can choose to either capture the in-game audio or record external sound using phone's microphone. The video recording also supports a watermark - you can set a static picture, or use the front camera to embed yourself in the video. YouTubers will find those very useful.

The Game Launcher also offers Top Charts and Featured Videos tabs, where you can see check some nice game stats, and find helpful videos about your games.

Game Launcher related Charts - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Game Launcher related videos - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Game Launcher related Charts • Game Launcher related videos

Edge features
Since it's an edge model, the Galaxy S7 edge comes with a few exclusive software features to utilize the curved space. With the addition of Always-on option though, one of the highlights from the previous edge generation has been moved to its settings - it's like a night mode of the big always-on screen.

There are three edge features on the Galaxy S7 edge - Edge Panels, Edge Feeds, Edge Lighting.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The Edge Panels are available everywhere throughout the interface and you can assign the position, size and transparency of the edge shortcut. Those new panels are more like some exclusive mini homescreens.

Edge settings - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Edge panels - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Edge panels - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review More edge panels - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Edge settings - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Edge settings • Edge panels • Edge panels • More edge panels • Edge settings

One of the panels gives you app shortcuts, another has your favorite task hotkeys, then there is the one holding your favorite contacts. There are even more panels - Bookmarks, Weather, Calendar with Events, My Places, Compass (with ruler and flashlight). You can rearrange the panels as you wish, you can download more from the store, too. While those panels are cool, and you can have them all at once (they are swipe-able), we found it pointless to have more than one.

The position of the edge shortcut - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review App edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review People edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Compass edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Weather edge - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
The position of the edge shortcut • App edge • People edge • Compass edge • Weather edge

The edge feeds are back - those can be awoken with a short swipe and then swipe down gesture and it will light up brightly. If you have more than one feed (RSS, missed notifications, CNN, activity tracking), you can scroll between the different info feeds with a swipe.

Edge feeds settings - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Edge feeds in action - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Edge feeds settings • Edge feeds in action

The edge feeds disable your always on screen and then lights up, which is rather awkward and honestly, unnecessary. The always-on display is more than capable to handle some of these functions and you don't need special gestures to activate it (it's always on, remember).

Edge lighting lights up by a notification or a call only if your device is lying face down. You can even reject a call with a pre-defined message by placing a finger on the heart-rate sensor for 2 seconds.

Edge lighting - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Edge lighting

While those edge features are cool, the always-on screen rendered most of them unnecessary. We don't mind the curved screen as a design element, but we can't imagine anyone using these software gimmicks for more than a show off.

Gear VR and Oculus
Samsung is really determined the make the Virtual Reality a mainstream thing this year. It even used VR headsets to stream its last UNPACKED event to all attendees on the spot. And pre-orders of the Galaxy S7 or S7 edge came with a free Gear VR headset on many markets.

But the company made sure it provides the users with a full package of VR gear - you can opt additionally for the Gear 360 camera, which will snap VR photos and videos for you.

The Gear VR is powered by Oculus technology so all the Oculus VR content is available to the Gear VR users as long as they have the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, S7, and S7 edge. You just snap the phone in the slot and you are ready to go.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Naturally, we got our hands on a Gear VR headset and did a quick tour with the Galaxy S7 edge.

The Gear VR puts you in a comfortable room, which should help you get used with the whole VR thing. Some people may get dizzy at first, other may even become sick, so you should experiment with the Gear VR gradually - try it for a few short minutes at first before having a longer session.

Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Gear VR

So, in this VR room you get the default menu. Oculus provides enough content to get you started - there is a whole world of 360 photos within the Oculus Photos gallery. They are grouped by continents, countries, and cities. There are a few other galleries for different contest winners, your favorite 360 photos, the 360 photos you've preloaded on your phone, among others.

The Oculus Photos app has so many images of different places that you can lose weeks before you see them all. And it may be even impossible to do so, as new VR shots are added regularly.

The Oculus Video hub isn't as impressive as the Photos app. There are quite a few videos to get you started, but you should refer to other sources rather quickly (Facebook, YouTube, etc.). If a video is not a VR one, you can choose a cinema setup to fill the empty 3D space, which is quite a cool gimmick and we had fun time using it.

There are a few games available in the Oculus Store, but most of them were awful. Once the games advance enough they will make you use an Xbox or similar controller and then the Gear VR and Oculus will be fully utilizing the VR capabilities. For now - the Oculus games are just demos of the VR tech rather than something meaningful and entertaining.

As far as the quality is concerned - graphics quality is far from ideal, but we didn't expect them to be. The resolution is low and you can see the individual pixels and this may take time to get used to. In the 4K era going back to something close to the VGA resolution isn't a small bite and not everyone will be able to switch that fast.

We don't see the Gear VR as a gaming tool, but more like a multimedia explorer. Somewhat we doubt the games will be its moving force, at least today.

Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review Gear VR - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review
Gear VR

But we bet user-created multimedia content should provide a big enough hype to get more and more people hooked up. What's better than reliving your awesome vacations and memories once again, at the comfort of your couch?

We don't know about the gaming thing yet, but we'd take a Gear 360 camera and a Gear VR headset in a heartbeat just to explore the world from home. And hopefully, the VR world quality will get better

30 Cool High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 19:24:00 +0000

30 Cool High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look

High tech gadgets are becoming a part of our everyday life. Like with the mobile phone, we are starting to be addicted, depending on them for our daily actions.
As this cool technology advances, so do these gadgets that we are fond of. We are constantly amazed by the new concepts created by young and ambitious designers.
These innovations appear from a necessity of solving the problems that old products have. Besides new and improved functions, they also come with a beautiful design.
Water shade
This project is a gate of water. The project goes by the name of “Water Shade” and keeps a shield of H2O around the fruit it is sworn to protect.
It’s both a dish and a cover, working with water to keep freshness in and everything larger than O2 out!
Designer Yitu Wang doesn’t want to keep you from your delicious apples. This is why in this cool gadget there’s a built in detector that sees your hand in approach, and thus is does desist.
Moisture and freshness are locked in, while dust is locked out. And when you come up and decide you’d love to have a strawberry, as soon as your hand gets near, the streams in that area stop.
Water shade 1
Water shade 2
Water shade 3
At home Clothing Printer by Joshua Harris
At home Clothing Printer by Joshua Harris
This is another one of the cool tech gadgets and I’m sure soon a lot of homes will have it.
Not so long ago, having a photo-copier in your house seemed trivial. Nowadays, one of those is not only affordable, but also small.
The Pattern Door Lock
Has it ever crossed your mind that someone can steal your electronic door passcode?
More often than not, gullible people end up as victims and the wicked score another win.
The Pattern Door Lock is designed in a way that the code combination is not easily visible.
With Braille integrated, the locking system adds a layer of security and functionality to the whole setup.
The Pattern Door Lock 1
The Pattern Door Lock 2
The Pattern Door Lock 3
Bio Tank, Robotic ‘FishWasher’ by Akifusa Nakazawa
The Bio Tank not only does the dishes, but it also makes compost.
The Robotic fish cleans up the dish while turning the food and grime into bio fuel.
It filters to clean the water, meaning no replacing the dirty water either.
Bio Tank, Robotic FishWasher by Akifusa Nakazawa
The Drum Washing Machine by Andras Suto
This is a communal laundry system that allows people to share the washing facilities.
It features an extractable washing machine drum that doubles up as a laundry basket. With it you can transport laundry between home and the washing area.
The Drum Washing Machine by Andras Suto
The Mystica Desk
The Mystica Desk is a beautiful office workspace that is a must have if you love futuristic technology and furniture.
The table’s ‘L’ design makes it a great table for one person, or a comfortable fit for a team too.
The Mystica Desk 1
The Mystica Desk 2
The Smart Touch Refrigerator
The Smart Touch refrigerator may seem like it’s a long shot, but it captures what a smart fridge is required to be like.
The fridge is definitely a class apart with its half-swirl handle.
The handle hosts an inbuilt biometric sensor that knows who’s opening the fridge door.
Food kept inside the fridge is thus tagged to the people who put them there in the first place. Projectors on each food tray project ‘time stamps’ n the food when you open the door.
These stamps show who the food belongs to, and by what time it must be consumed.
The designer HaiMeng Fang wants to drop the possibility of stocking one’s refrigerator, but forgetting about perishable food items kept within the fridge.
The Smart Touch refrigerator
The Dividing Printer
While most printers allow you to ‘collate’ prints, there’s always a slight chance that one rogue paper finds itself in the wrong pile.
The Dividing Printer, as its name suggests does something simple yet smart. It mounts the printer on a rail and allows the printer to move left or right while printing documents.
What this does is that it allows the printer to create actual, physical piles of paper that have been segregated from the get go.
The elegance of this solution lies in the fact that it doesn’t change what the printer does. It just adds a small bit of innovation elsewhere to solve the problem.
The Dividing Printer 1
The Dividing Printer 2
The Pavati Tap
We never get a chance to see how the hot and cold water blend together within the faucet, before it cascades out like a stream.
The Pavati Tap builds upon this element. The result is a showcase of how the two streams of water can create drama whilst you wash your hands.
A Y-shaped waterfall effect mixes the cold and hot water into a single mutual waterfall.
The Pavati Tap
Transparent TV
The transparent tv designed by Michael Friebe of Loewe AG is a marvelous piece of technology that combines conventional LCD and the latest TOLED display technology.
This allows to create non-transparent / solid moving pictures with rich color reproduction and full contrast range from solid black to pristine white.
Transparent TV - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Transparent TV 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Floor Plan Light switch
Have you ever had a problem with forgetting which light switch stands for what light? Taewon Hwang came with the great idea of creating a master light switch with a simple design that shows you what lights you are turning on or off.
Floor Plan Light switch - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Floor Plan Light switch 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The AURA Lamp
Looking almost alien like, the AURA lamp lights up a room with a certain texture and that is because it’s a woven lamp hand made in France.
The AURA Lamp - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Dimensional Wall Panels
People aren’t familiar with 3D wall panels. I don’t know why, cause they surely bring a nice feel to a room, with their interesting shapes that create a beautiful arrangement of light and shadows.
They can also be put in shops, restaurants, offices and because of their different that usual look they transmit a nice futuristic look.
Dimensional Wall Panels - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Dimensional Wall Panels 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The RIMA lamp
The RIMA lamp is one like no other because of its interesting feature that allows you to control the light via four controller rings that you can slide. This beautiful lamp created by Matthias Pinkert has a processor which controls the heat, intensity, angle of the beam and color.
The RIMA lamp - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The RIMA lamp 1 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The RIMA lamp 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Sony Eclipse
This Sony Eclipse concept created by Hoang M Nguyen and Anh Nguyen is a media player that uses photovoltaic cells situated on its backside to draw in solar power.
With this player you have a slight change of seeing the battery low warning very very rare.
Sony Eclipse - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Sony Eclipse 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Pouring Light Lamp
A strange but interesting lamp that will surely be sold really fast if it would be put in stores is this one created by Yeongwoo Kim.
The lamp uses LED lights that are situated in the bucket and with the help of phosphorescence in the “water” it lights in a marvelous way. This is one of the cool gadgets that you need to have.
Pouring Light lamp - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Pouring Light lamp 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Door Handle With Self-sterilization System
Door Handle With Self-sterilization System - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Door Handle With Self-sterilization System 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Door Handle With Self-sterilization System 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Door Handle With Self-sterilization System 4 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Senzo Nightlight
It’s really annoying during the night when you wake up and not find the light switch. The solution is provided by Soledad Clavell and Marcos Madia who created this wonderful home technology that lights up the room when touching it. If you always wanted a example cool lights for your bedroom, this is it.
Senzo Nightlight - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Senzo Nightlight 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Electrolux Fireplace
This fireplace created by Camillo Vanacore for Electrolux is one of the home gadgets presented here that looks almost magical because of its transformation from off to on, from an opaque ceramic column to a transparent one.
Electrolux Fireplace - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Eco Cleaner
Without using regular dish detergents, the Eco Cleaner makes the plates bright and fresh using ultrasonic waves to ionize food particles on the dishes, converting the food into reusable compost for plants.
Less waste and more nutrients for plants are a good idea for the future and a solution for enriching the soil. Of course, we’re talking about the soil for the plants that you keep in your apartment.
Eco Cleaner - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Eco Cleaner - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Document Extractor – Combi Monitor
Saving space on the desk has always been a problem for some and to solve this issue Byeong Min Choe has come up with a marvelous idea of combining a printer and a monitor.
Document Extractor – Combi Monitor - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Document Extractor – Combi Monitor 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Document Extractor – Combi Monitor 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Document Extractor – Combi Monitor 4 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
On Switch
Minimalistic and elegant. That’s how you define this light switch created by Burakov Denis. This is one of the cool things to put in your room to make it better.
On Switch - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Green Smart Glass
The Green Smart Glass has an interesting technology that harnesses the heat energy from the hot beverage and stores it to be used later.
Green Smart Glass - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Green Smart Glass 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Green Smart Glass 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Green Smart Glass 4 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Green Smart Glass 5- High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
iQ Alarm clock
Instead of the snooze button which you unwillingly press in the morning, this alarm clock has questions that need your lucidity to solve them. This way, you will surely get up fast in the morning.
iQ Alarm clock - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
iQ Alarm clock 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Change It! Wall
This wall has been passed around on the internet for some time and has become a neat attraction. It’s not LED or anything digital.
It’s actually made of turning triangles with different colors on them, white, black and a rainbow color. It is limited at these three options for now, but I’m sure we’ll see in the future various patterns and images.
Change It! Wall - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Change It! Wall 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Change It! Wall 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Orbital Washing Machine
Washing clothes has never been so easy. With the incorporated basket you can load and unload the clothes in the washing machine as easy as 1, 2, 3.
This isn’t the only innovative feature. The spherical drum is moving on two axes washing your clothes better than the old washing machines that use only one axe.
Orbital Washing Machine - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Orbital Washing Machine 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Bediator
Having a warm bed underneath you is a cool thing, especially if you’re in a place where winters are incredibly cold.
Now I don’t know how much weight this bed radiator-bed supports but if it can take two medium people it is awesome.
Bediator - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Bediator 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Bediator 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
LED Ceiling
This is an interesting concept created by Seo Dong-Hun that allows you to create on the ceiling the light shapes you want.
Literally, you can paint the ceiling with light. Imagine the artworks that would result from some people’s imagination.
LED Ceiling - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
LED Ceiling - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
LULA Lung Lamp
LULA is a product that collects data and indicates the air quality in your room.
If it’s connected to the internet, it can process the data and tell you the health issues that you are facing in that situation and how you can avoid having problems caused by the quality of air.
LULA Lung Lamp - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
LULA Lung Lamp 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
WAT Lamp
The WAT lamp has the interesting ability to generate light if you fuel it with water.
Yeah, it sounds outrageously futuristic, but the system is actually not that strange. The water combines with a hydroelectric battery to generate an electrochemical reaction that lights it up.
WAT Lamp - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Miranda
This surface tile is not for everyone but it is fun for sure, having the ability to morph the way you want it and create shapes and basic drawings on it. More info can be found on Giles Miller’s site.
Miranda - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
WAVE Ultra Sonic Wine Ager And Refrigerator
Ever wanted to age your wine so that it will be of a higher quality? Now you can, it’s not only a movie idea. Designer Mika Yamamoto has created this device that does this incredible thing.
The Wave uses magnetic cooling system that is based on the magnetocaloric effect, which is the ability of some materials to heat up when magnetized and cool when removed from the magnetic field.
It reduces carbon emissions and increases energy efficiency. It can possibly cut energy consumption by 40%. It also reduces the cost of electricity.
WAVE Ultra Sonic Wine Ager And Refrigerator - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
WAVE Ultra Sonic Wine Ager And Refrigerator 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
WAVE Ultra Sonic Wine Ager And Refrigerator 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The Wave Dish Washer
This dishwasher beautifully designed by Guilherme Parolin makes the action of washing dishes a piece of cake thanks to its user friendly control panel.
The Wave Dish Washer - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Swan Umbrella Dryer
Drying up a wet umbrella has always been a problem. Till Noh Seon Mi designed the Swan Umbrella Dryer, of course.
Swan Umbrella Dryer - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
Swan Umbrella Dryer 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
+- Water Meter
+- Water Meter - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
+- Water Meter 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
+- Water Meter 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
1limit Faucet
Unlike the +- water faucet which only tells you how much you consume and doesn’t technically help you to reduce your costs, the 1litre limited faucet helps you to consume only the water that you need.
1limit Faucet - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
1limit Faucet 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
iChef+ Oven
From what I’ve seen on the market, the ovens are not user friendly at all, having changed over the years only at an aesthetic level without modifying the process in which you actually cook the meal.
The iChef Oven has an innovative and powerful computer behind it’s technology and I believe it can be considered a milestone in its niche.
iChef+ Oven - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
iChef+ Oven 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
iChef+ Oven 3 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The Book Light
This product with integrated LEDs in a plastic body is an interesting product for the people who read a lot and need a discreet light over their pages.
Don’t worry about the light being to powerful, cause you can adjust it as you please.
The Book Light - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The Book Light 2 - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The Tulip Bath/Shower
In a small bathroom there’s always a problem with space and the Tulip Bath/Shower designed by Piotr Pyrtek provides the solution.
Saving space is not its only feature, having a number of characteristics that qualifies it as a luxury item, like underwater jets or massage programs.
The Tulip Bath/Shower - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look
The Tulip Bath/Shower - High Tech Gadgets To Give Your Home A Futuristic Look

How farmers can end land disputes and produce more food

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 11:35:00 +0000

Farming can be a tough enough business at the best of times, but imagine not being able to prove that the land you farm is even yours.

In Ghana, for example, only 10% of smallholder farmers have any kind of certificate documenting their ownership rights.

Not only does this put them in a vulnerable position, it can often lead to disputes. And if your land is the main asset you want to borrow against, getting a loan can prove difficult, too.

So tech company Landmapp has come up with an innovative mobile platform that uses GPS location functionality to map and survey smallholder farmers.

Farmers receive a certified plan of the land and land tenure documentation signed by the surveyor, chiefs and high court.

"Land tenure insecurity is a core barrier to land investment and farming," explains Thomas Vaassen, Landmapp's co-founder and chief technical officer.

Image copyrightLANDMAPP

Image captionLandmapp makes an accurate digital survey of the farmer's land

"Without proper documentation, there is a real risk of losing the rights to a land parcel. Also, without documentation it is often not possible to access financing, as the document is the only collateral at hand for most farmers."

The company started operations in Ghana earlier this year and has already completed more than 1,000 land maps. It says 80% of traditional chiefs are interested in the service.

Smart contracts

Disputes can also occur between farmers and food companies who buy their produce.

These arrangements have traditionally relied on a large element of trust on both sides. But sometimes producers don't get paid when food companies think farmers haven't delivered what they promised.

So Freshmarte for Provenance has developed a mobile app that enables food companies and farmers to operate digital smart contracts based on blockchain, the technology underpinning the Bitcoin digital currency.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionFreshmarte's app creates smart digital contracts between farmers and buyers

These contracts are recorded in an encrypted, decentralised ledger that cannot be tampered with, so there can be no dispute about the agreements or whether the terms have been fulfilled or not.

The app integrates satellite imagery to monitor the progress of farming projects. And following harvest, the price of produce is fairly determined by an algorithm.

The tech has other uses, too.

Freshmarte is based on open data, allowing anyone to view the source of the products being sold. Buyers can be sure that no child labour was used, for example, or that producers are receiving a fair wage.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionSmart contracts can ensure farmers receive a fair price for their produce

"Our platform, with independent open data APIs [application programming interfaces], allows any concerned individual to research how, when, where, under which labour conditions, and price in respect to trade, the food on their table was grown, packaged, transported and delivered," explains founder Job Oyebisi.

The app is currently being trialled in southern Nigeria by British American Tobacco, and goes live country-wide in November.

A problem shared

Of course, it's not just hi-tech solutions helping farmers. Lo-tech phones have given them better access to live market prices, weather forecasts, and, crucially, advice for many years now.

One company, WeFarm, operates a peer-to-peer knowledge exchange service via SMS text message, allowing farmers to ask questions of other farmers.

Its algorithm routes the question to the most relevant farmers, based on their location and expertise, for example.

When Ugandan farmer Erick Beinenama's chickens were dying from coccidiosis, he turned to WeFarm in a bid to save them. Another chicken farmer saw his SMS, gave him advice, and Mr Beinenama managed to save his remaining 23 chickens.

Image copyrightWEFARM

Image captionThe WeFarm text message service provides useful advice to farmers from farmers

"With farming, you need knowledge from other farmers for better yields," he says. "Without the information from WeFarm, I would have lost all of my chickens."

Each farmer receives on average three to five answers within a couple of hours, and often farmers from other countries begin sending in advice within 24 hours.

Until now, rural farmers typically relied on government field officers for assistance if they had a problem with their crops or livestock. Visits to rural villages from these officers are often only once a month - enough time for all of a farmer's animals to die, or their crops to fail.

"Technology opens up lots of opportunities, whether that is solving a problem on their farm, finding a market for produce, or being able to enhance their resilience to climate change," says Kenny Ewan, WeFarm's founder and chief executive.

"These small differences can make a huge impact on smallholders' livelihoods."

Finance for farming

In the meantime, improving farmers' access to financial services - and financial security - also needs to be a priority for technical innovation, says Ross Baird, chief executive of investment and business training organisation, Village Capital.

With around 33 million small farms producing up to 90% of Africa's entire agricultural output, Mr Baird argues it is important to help farmers build their wealth and achieve financial security.

Nearly two-thirds of the rural population in sub-Saharan Africa live on less than $1.25 (95p) a day.

Image copyrightWEFARM

Image captionThe majority of people in Africa earn money from farming

"Low-cost smartphones have given farmers access to financial services they never had before. But other tools, such as access to credit, savings, investments, and income-smoothing mechanisms require data that is currently too expensive for the plans that farmers have," Mr Baird says.

Village Capital recently ran a business accelerator in East Africa focusing on these challenges.

He says Africa needs better infrastructure, and preferably free internet, if farmers are to benefit fully from new technology.

"Ultimately, we will be successful when we see the average farmer earn a living wage and have financial security," he says.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: What's the difference and which is best for you?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:35:00 +0000

It's the biggest head-to-head since Game of Thrones's Battle of the Bastards, and one that's being fought more closely than the ultimate quest to command the Iron Throne. Having recently lost its smartphone supremacy crown, Apple with the newly launched iPhone 7 release is looking to dethrone the Samsung Galaxy S7 as the best smartphone to buy right now.

But can it? Well, the iPhone 7 might not feature the radical redesign many were hoping for, and it has killed off the headphone port, but it has made just enough improvements to give the S7 a serious run for its money.

So, if you're in the market for a new phone, should you plump for Apple's new handset or simply opt for the S7? Well, with these flagship phones costing so much and contract periods so lengthy, we'd recommend reading on a really discovering which phone is best for you.

Despite being two of the best-looking, well-built devices on the market, this is very much a battle of the rehashes. The iPhone 7 is the third take on the stunningly svelte design first introduced by the 2014-released iPhone 6. The S7 by contrast is only a minor design update on last year's S6.

The iPhone isn't a total clone though. A number of changes have been introduced to mix things up just enough. Some you'll want, others, well, not so much. Falling into the former column, Apple has cut back on those ugly antenna lines while retaining the same easy-on-the-eye curvaceous metal body. On the negative side, it's time to wave goodbye to the traditional 3.5mm headphone port. Seriously.

Rendering your current cans a phone-dodging redundancy, Apple has killed off the headphone jack and instead force people to either make do with an ugly adaptor, buy a pair of Bluetooth headphones or use the basic pair of Lightening EarPods that coming the box. New Beats anyone? No matter how good-looking the phone is, Apple's move to kill the headphone port will be a serious reason for many to dodge it and plump for the S7 instead.

Heck's it's even pissed of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. "If [the iPhone 7]'s missing the headphone jack, that's gonna tick off a lot of people," he said recently. "I would not use Bluetooth… I don't like wireless."

A present headphone connector isn't all the Sammy smartphone's got going for it either. Yes, the Apple effort might be slimmer, sleeker and lighter, but unlike the S7 it doesn't have the same options of the curved edge display introduced by the S7 Edge.

Both, however, offer impressive waterproof skills. While the iPhone 7 can now be dropped down the toilet with little worry, the S7 is capable of withstand 30 minutes submerged in up to 1.5 metres of water without succumbing to a watery demise.

Related: iPhone 7 vs iPhone 6S

It's not just the shells of these two phones that are easy on the eye, their screens are up there on the visual delight fronts, too. This is an area Apple still needs to improve though. Sure, the iPhone 7's panel is solid, but its 1334 x 750 pixel resolution is starting to show its age. No, resolution isn't everything, but the S7's stunning 2560 x 1440 pixel panel leaves the iPhone, and everything else for that matter, firmly in its wake.

Fortunately, the iPhone 7 has made improvements elsewhere. While hopes of a 1080p Full HD panel have gone unanswered, Apple has widened the phone's colour gamut and increased its brightness by 25%. The result is a screen that really pops and one that can match up to the Super AMOLED delights of Samsung's flagship phone, well, almost.

It's not just movie-improving, game-bettering visuals that Samsung has in its favour either. Although the two phones feature a similar footprint, Sammy's phone squeezes in a much larger display. And boy is it a beaut? The phone's 5.1-inch, QHD display offers even more of its unrivalled image quality than the 4.7-inch iPhone effort can muster. Another point to Samsung then.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Features & Performance: Two of the best

Related: Samsung Galaxy S8 release date

Where Samsung goes for raw power, Apple goes for fine-tuning finesse. Both approaches work and you're unlikely to be left wanting in the power stakes with either of these number 7 suffixed smartphones. Whichever phone you plump for, you're going to get a device that can handle everything you throw at it, be that heavy work loads, some casual gaming, a bit of VR action, or a healthy multitasking mix of the lot.

It's not just oodles of power that these phones have in common either. Impressively speedy and secure fingerprint scanners are a familiar sight on both, as are decent inbuilt speakers where Apple has finally gone stereo. Where Samsung has the edge, however, is storage.

Although the iPhone 7 has moved to a new 32GB entry level standard like the S7, unlike its illustrious rival it doesn't feature any storage expansion, that's just not Apple's way. Why is this a big deal? Well, when you're only halfway through your 24-month contract and you've filled your phone with apps and images, Samsung will simply let you buy a cheap microSD card to sort the issue while Apple will make you delete things, buy a new phone or cough up more monthly cash on cloud storage - boo.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Camera: A battle of the best

Related: iPhone tips and tricks

This is where the battle of the iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 is really going to get tasty. The Samsung Galaxy S7 currently boasts the best smartphone camera available. Bar none. The iPhone 6S was no slouch, however, and the iPhone 7 has kicked things up another gear.

So, what makes the S7's camera so good? Well, despite having dropped from a 16-megapixel to a 12-megapixel sensor (don't worry, that's not a bad thing) compared with its predecessor, the S7's snapper features a larger sensor that utilises bigger pixels. That means more light can be drawn in, and that's key to a high quality shot. It pairs this with integrated optical image stabilisation (OIS) and speedy auto focus for sharper shots that never fail to impress, even when the lights have dropped.

Fortunately, the iPhone 7 has thrown OIS skills into the mix, having previously been reserved the photo-enhancing ability for the larger iPhone 6S Plus. A new sensor not only allows more light in when partnered with the new six-piece f/1.8 lens, but its 60% faster than its predecessor too. As a result, the Apple handset can now compete with the S7 in dark, dingy situations such as gigs, clubs and parties - y'know, the places you really want to take pictures.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Software: iOS vs Android, again

Related: iOS 10 compatibility: Will your iPhone and iPad support the new OS?

Ah, the classic iOS vs Android battle. Ding-ding, round 437. While iOS was, for years, king of the clean systems and Android the lord of customisation, the two operating systems have increasingly merged together in recent years. Android still has the customisation edge, however, and iOS is still neater and a bit more user-friendly, but there's less between the two than ever.

Behind the top layer of gloss, there's plenty users switching between systems would find familiar. Both now work hard to eek out your battery life, both will turn your holiday snaps into a fun video montage, and both will support every app you could possibly want. What separates them, and what's in Apple's favour, is how quickly the two phones will get updates.

While the S7 is set to face a notable wait for the camera-improving, VR-friendly, emoji-promoting Android Nougat update, the iPhone 7 will launch with the new iOS 10 operating system pre-installed. That means improved Messages features, smarter Siri skills and a Photos app that will automatically know who's in your snaps - creepy.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 battery: Similar staying power

Related: How to improve your iPhone's battery life

To date, neither Apple nor Samsung has covered itself in glory when it comes to smartphone staying power. iPhones and Galaxys have never been wanting for battery life, but neither will take you much past lunch on a second day without needing a trip to the mains either.

Although the iPhone 7 offers an additional 2 hours of staying power per charge compared with its predecessor, this doesn't give it much of an edge. Like the S7, it will be comfortable cruising through 24 hours on a single charge - assuming you're not mashing it on Pokémon Go or other games - but you'll still be better off plugging it in when you head to bed every night.

iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7: The Summary

Related: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7

The battle for smartphone supremacy continues to get hotter and hotter, and this year, the iPhone 7 vs Samsung Galaxy S7 head-to-head is shaping up as a doozie. The S7 is already the best phone we've ever seen, and Apple has its work cut out to return to the top of the pile. Can it do it?

Well, with just days until the phone hits retailers' shelves, it remains to be seen. On paper the S7 still has the edge, but paper doesn't account for that sprinkling of Apple magic that so often transforms seeming mediocrity into something truly special.

What could be a death sentence for the iPhone 7, however, is that missing headphone port. If a lack of expandable storage and eye-meltingly detailed display wasn't enough, that lack of jack could push many longstanding iPhone owners into the arms of Samsung.

11 Ways to Make Money While You Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 15:25:00 +0000

Do you remember in the past we were warned to be careful about being in debt because interest never stopped charging us, interest never slept, never took a day off, never took a holiday. Well the reverse is true, as well.

Is your money making money while you sleep? Does it sound too good to be true? Since we still live in the age of the interest, it’s not that difficult to earn extra money on the side.

With that in mind, here are 11 ways that you can actually earn money while you sleep.

1. Start a blog.
Perhaps the most popular way to earn a passive income is by launching your own blog. It only takes a couple of minutes to setup and is cheap to start - just purchase your domain name and pay for hosting.

After that, start creating amazing content that people would be interested in reading or sharing. For example, if you’re an accountant that has helped small business owners with their taxes, then that could be your blog. I personally have my invoicing blog to help customers know everything there is to know about invoicing. This draws thousands of signups a month.

Make sure the topics you write about are popular. If you still love your pet rock, I doubt there would be enough people visiting your our site to monetize it. But, you never know.

Once you’ve gained a following, you can start making money from of your blog by:

Earning commissions as an affiliate. This is where you push other people’s products or services on your site. Make sure these products or services are relevant to your blog. For example, that accounting blog could become an affiliate for accounting or invoicing software. Once you find an affiliate partner you’ll be given a unique code so that whenever a visitor clicks that link on your site you’ll earn your commission.

Sell-advertising. If you’re site has the traffic to become an affiliate, then it may also be good enough for advertisers to purchase ads on your site. You may start off small, like making under $20 per ad. But, you may eventually be able to charge triple digits. Again, you site must be quality.

Find sponsors. This is slightly different than just selling ads on your site. Sponsorships may be a one-off piece of sponsored content or permanent logo embedded in your footer.

2. Sell your own information product.
If you’re knowledgeable in a certain area, then you can start creating products, such as eBooks or videos, and selling them on your blog. It may take a lot of work to create and market your products, but once all the leg work is over, you can just set back and collect the proceeds.

3. Earn royalties.
If you’re a talented musician, actor, or author, then you could earn royalties from your work. In other words people will pay you for using your work or creative assets.

If you aren’t talented enough, but still interested in earning royalties, then check out Royalty Exchange. It’s a marketplace where you can buy and sell royalties.

4. Create a membership community.
If you’ve proven yourself to be a authority figure, then you can create a membership community where you pay a monthly fee to receive additional high-quality content and information that’s not available to non-members.

One of my favorite examples is Timothy Sykes who makes more than $100,000 per month in passive income through his membership community which discusses how people can make money in trading penny stocks.

5. Install an autoresponder.
Another common online business model is using autoresponders to sell services, products or memberships. This is where people leave their email address on your site and then they’ll receive an automated email containing the link to download products or quality information you have to offer, as well as follow-up with a series of emails.

You’ll a need service like OptinMonster to make this possible. I also recommend you read this Quick Sprout guide to get started with autoresponders.

6. Flip websites.
If you’ve put in the time and effort in building a website and you have gained a lot of traffic, then you may be able to sell it to an interested party by listing on marketplaces like Flippa. I've bought and sold a lot of sites here and made a lot of money.

7. Sell physical products.
Just like with a blogging site, there are several ways to earn a passive income by selling physical products. Probably one of the best known ways is by selling your old junk on eBay. But even if you don’t have anything left to sell you can start drop shopping. This is where you sell products for a company on eBay or Amazon and they’ll take care of the rest - including shipping.

You can also launch your own eCommerce store by using Shopify. They literally give you everything you need to sell products online from a complete online shop to including buy buttons on your social media channels.

8. Invest in stocks or shares.
When you invest in stocks you become a stakeholder. That entitles you to a share of their profits. Investing in stocks has been a popular way to earn a passive income for years, and thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever to research and invest in stocks on your own.

50 business ideas to start at university

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 07:30:00 +0000

Running low on cash and inspiration? Have a gander at our weird, wonderful and lucrative startup suggestions for business you can run from your dorm!Stuffed monkey starting a business
Credit: Alan Cleaver – Flickr
We’re not saying that running a business from the comfort of your home is a walk in the park but it is possible, and that’s enough to start talking about the options pronto!
If starting a small business sounds like it’ll take up too much of your precious time, head over to our quick-fix cash injection guide for ideas on how to make money pronto.
However, if you have a bit of entrepreneurial spirit in you, these ideas should get your juices flowing and set you off on your merry way to small-business success.
Enough monkeying around: let’s get to it!
Nail that big business idea
Do some research: what do people need or want? Think of an everyday obstacle you’re met with – how can it be overcome?
If you could provide or invent something that would make life easier, better, safer, fairer or cheaper – what would it be?
What are you really good at or love doing? Perhaps start with that!
Think about what ventures might support your degree course or future ideal career.
50 startup ideas
Lit lightbulbs
Credit: Joe Goldberg – Flickr
Upcycle and sell on free stuff you’ve found in charity shops, on Gumtree and on Freecycle
Start a blog. Make your uni ramblings as engaging and insightful as you can (it helps to provide a few laughs and be opinionated). Once you have a good following, you can start hosting ads on your site for payment, or even write advertorials for brands (this basically involves you writing about a company for payment) – read our guide to making money as a blogger for more deets.
Similarly, you can earn money from YouTube videos by sharing a slice of the ad revenue. It could be reviews or guides related to your course subject, or pick any topic that really fascinates you (games, comedy and music do particularly well). You can run some ads and often blag freebies, and further down the line you could even stream pay-per-view vids if you get enough subscribers
Buy second-hand in-demand textbooks at the end of term and sell them on to new students at the start of the new term (worth double checking that the same textbooks will be used again the following term, otherwise you could be left with a lot of useless material!)
Cash in on your creativity by selling a design, a piece of music, a recipe, or whatever your speciality is on a site like Gumroad
Become an ’emergency key holder’: offer a base package that lets people keep a spare key with you that they can collect if they lose their own. We all know how easy it is to get into a pickle with this! You can add sliding fees if they want you to deliver or for unsociable hours
Start a magazine about your uni subject and get other students, tutors and guest experts to write for it too. You could charge local businesses to advertise – the money might not start rolling in instantly but it’s a good project to invest in and will look great on your CV
Set yourself an unusual goal – like living on a yacht for a year or surviving on a tenner a week – and blog or write a book about it. You’ve got a good chance of featuring in the papers too (and could charge so cash for images!)
Rent out your student room or house over the summer months on Airbnb
Run a ‘you want it, I’ll get it’ delivery service. Evenings and weekends could see you delivering McDonald’s/beer combos, while early mornings could be coffees, newspapers or train tickets. Or just see what everyday things people run out of and buy in bulk (midnight loo roll’s got to be a winner, right?)
empty loo roll
Credit: GorillaSushi – Flickr
Create an alternative yearbook using a print-on-demand publisher and sell copies and advertising space
Start a film screening club (or stick with the ever-popular student club night)
‘I queue for you’: stand in-line or hang on the phone so someone else doesn’t have to
Convert someone’s entire CD catalogue into MP3 files they can play on their phone. It’s easy enough to do using software like iTunes but can take hours… which is where you come in!
Start an accommodation reviews site for your campus or town
Set up a Skype language course or conversational practice for learners around the world
Buy packets of seeds cheaply and sell pot plants or fresh fruit/veg. You can grow lots of things without tons of equipment – some veg will even thrive in old wellies or grown indoors. Just keep it legal!
Lend a hand to the local elderly by offering to do their grocery shopping online for them on the premise that you can claim cashback
Make and sell audio or e-book versions of out-of-copyright set texts, particularly if they’re hard to find (think medieval literature or 18th-century science tomes)
Be the go-to finder for folk who’ve lost something irreplaceable or want to buy something hard to find. Use the web as well as local contacts and retail knowledge to track down the impossible… for a commission
Freelance: Whether it’s related to your current course or your dream career, offer your skills to peeps who need web design, illustration, writing or admin support. You’ll also get CV-pimping experience to bootcat computer freelance
Create food hampers that parents can order and have delivered to their kids – think student essentials in long-life eats or healthy stuff they’re probably not getting enough of
Run a couple of matchmaker events for your campus and charge a small joining fee
Make bespoke photo albums: use a site like Lulu.com to produce professionally printed books or magazines and add hand-crafted touches or notes to make each one unique
Offer a transcription service that types up lecture recordings, or use your graphic design skills to produce handouts for tutors
Create a swaps site that matches owners with lenders: think clothes, services, bikes or books – or maybe one that matches students who want to see the UK with those who live in other towns
Organise student event trips to other cities or to visit festivals – get a good deal on a coach and double your money on the tickets
Design an app that lets students vent about their course or campus anonymously and compare experiences around the world
Offer to sit for stock photographers or source models for them. Or just grab a camera and have a go at shooting and selling your own snaps. Try newcomer Picfair, which allows you set your own pricesdropout-fb
Produce a campus e-newsletter and take paid advertising from local businesses, or do deals to offer readers discounts and competitions
Start an annual gift or card service where you select and post cards and presents so subscribers so they never forget important birthdays or anniversaries
Be a market research consultant and sell your services to local or national businesses who want to know what students think about their stuff
Pay a flat rate to a freelance graphic designer to create popular web graphics or icons, and sell them on a marketplace like GraphicRiver for recurring income
If there’s one thing we all seem to have lurking in a spare bedroom, it’s unused home gym equipment and a pile of good intentions. Buy or beg the kit at bargain rates to re-sell or re-home with local schools, gyms, offices or personal trainers
Offer to collect or wait for deliveries for a fee (saving someone else the time or cost of rearranging a missed package)
Create a portfolio website that bands and musicians can use to connect with local events or businesses
Start a home-made smoothie or sandwich business for local firms: they phone you their orders in the morning and you deliver on the dot at lunchtimefood as small business idea
Credit: Hdx Cafe – Flickr
Turn your best photos or artwork into posters (good sellers at the start of term as students move into new homes) – check out Truprint
Start an essay or thesis proofreading business
Create a local guide – think magazine, website or app – that helps freshers make the most of their new town: the best cafés, cheapest deals, or hidden gems. You can sell these on and even ask businesses to pay a small fee to be included
Start your own travel exchange: put together packages of budget flights, accommodation and events and co-ordinate it between a uni abroad and your own
Sell a uni essentials welcome package – stationery, kitchen kit, discount vouchers – that can be delivered to freshers’ rooms ahead of their first day
Start a tutoring service for school students struggling with the subjects you’re acing at. Offer online courses or webinars to reach more folk
Be a sports coach for local or uni teams
Collect other students dirty laundry and take it to the launderette for a markup
Design a motivational app that logs lecture/seminar/gym attendance and awards points, vouchers or gifts for achievements or penalties for slacking
Start an outdoor fitness trail on MeetUp.com, leading groups of people to different/unusual locations to work out without equipment while seeing the sights
Offer a CV design or review service. Check out our guide to CV writing for a bit of inspo
Design cases that disguise gadgets and make them less attractive to thieves. Think phone covers that look like pencil cases, or a laptop case that looks like a ring-binder. Recycled materials get you bonus points!
Run your own subscription service where customers get a study survival kit delivered to them at their homes or libraries during high stress periods – think Berocca, teabags, de-stress scented candles, cans of redbull, etc.
The golden rules
Dog with keep off the grass sign
Credit: Tim Simpson – Flickr

Keep your stellar start-up ideas on track with some common sense:
Don’t do anything illegal
Don’t compromise anyone’s safety to make a buck
Don’t skimp on your studies in favour or making some cash
Check any rules your uni/insurance provider might have about running a business
Get the tax facts and know where you stand
Make sure you sound-out any rules about plagiarism if you intend to sell your notes or essays
Check whether you need a licence, insurance or qualification to put any of your ideas into action before you move forward
Don’t just think in terms of the money – going for ideas that help your community or local charities can do just as much for your CV or personal satisfaction.
Everyone has great ideas, but very few actually turn their dreams into concrete reality. Whether you’ve got a world-changing concept or just want to make some extra cash, you’ve got to make a start before you can have a startup.
Good luck, and let us know how you get on with your big venture! If you think we’ve missed any tricks with this list, fill us in using the comments section below

40 easy ways to make money . Try something today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 07:18:00 +0000

1.No-risk matched betting
free bets from matched bettingHands down the quickest way to make a lot of money (well, without breaking the law). Lots of students have genuinely made £100s from this technique. It’s completely legal, risk free, tax free, and anyone can do it.
It works by taking advantage of free bets regularly offered by betting sites through ‘matching’ them at a betting exchange. Matched betting eliminates the risk (you are betting both for and against a certain outcome).
This leaves you being able to squeeze out the free bet, which can be as much as £200! Multiply this by how many betting sites there are and you can quite easily come away with a profit of a few hundred pounds.
Owen walks you through how to make your first £15 profit (using a real life example) in this gem of a guide to matched betting. If you know of any better way to make £30/hr sitting at home, please let us know!
Online surveys
cat typing
Credit: Julio Marquez – Flickr.com

An increasingly popular way for students to make money is to fill out online surveys in their spare time. Research companies are always recruiting new members to answer surveys and test new products.
For a few minutes of form filling, you can make a couple of quid which is paid as cash or rewards. You can bag up to £3 ($5) for some surveys!
A few good ones to try are: Toluna, Vivatic, OnePoll, MySurvey, SurveyBods, Valued Opinions, The Opinion Panel, YouGov, PopulusLive, Global Test Market, Pinecone, IPSOS, Hiving, PanelBase, MintVine, Opinion Outpost, Mingle, Harris Poll, Mind Mover, New Vista, iPoll.
Also sign up for Swagbucks which rewards you for surveys as well as simply surfing the web, watching videos and playing games.
Update: See our new full guide to the best paid online surveys!
Paid for searching the web
Interested in earning cash for doing what you already do online? This has to be one of the easiest methods of making money online without really any effort or change in your behavior.
This innovative idea by Qmee.com rewards you for searching in Google, Bing or Yahoo. You just install a simple add-on to your browser and when you conduct a search there may be a few sponsored results alongside your normal search.
qmee paid searchEach Qmee result has a cash reward attached – if you are interested in it simply click on it and collect your reward.
The best thing is there is no minimum to cashout – our first one was just 72p wired to our Paypal account. You also have the option to donate it to charity.
Sign up now for free and start earning from your own searches! Click here to start.
Online market trading
The historically hard-to-break world of investing in stock markets and currencies has been cracked wide open. Today there is no need to be a fat cat or fund the yachts of Wolf of Wall Street style stock brokers. You can do it all yourself with the help of online market trading platforms.
Having spent many hours researching this new opportunity, I’ve been experimenting with the two biggest platforms: Plus500 and eToro.com.
Both offer free practice accounts, and Plus500 also give you a free £20 (without depositing, terms apply) for their CFD service which is worth taking up. Overall I prefer eToro with over 4.5 million users worldwide. It was recently featured in the BBC 2 documentary “Traders: Millions by the Minute” and the Financial Times.
etoro tradingOne of the best things on eToro is the CopyTrader feature. This lets you literally see, follow and copy the investments of other top performing traders.
Follow George’s complete guide to trading on eToro to learn more. I think $200 is a good amount to get the most out of the learning curve by trying out a few different markets. If nothing else you’ll learn a great deal about various investments and industries.
Disclaimer: CFD trading can be volatile and you can lose your entire capital, so don’t throw your life savings into it! Trading CFDs may not be suitable for you. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.
Review websites & apps for cash
usertesting.comWell it seems like you’re pretty nifty with a web browser, so perhaps it’s time to turn pro and browse websites as a paid and fun job!
Introducing UserTesting.com – a new platform that pays everyday people to review all kinds of websites. Each review takes around 20 minutes and bags you $10 (£6.50) via Paypal.
Simply sign up here, complete a test review and look forward to receiving websites in your inbox.
The ‘Disney Vault’ secret
disney vaultTo keep demand high across generations, Disney Studios carefully restrict the supply of some home release classics. They are locked away in the ‘vault’ for 8-10 years before being released for a short unspecified time.
Buy them in this window at normal retail price and you can turn a nice profit when they go off sale for another decade or so.
For example, in 2011 you could buy Beauty and the Beast on Blu-ray 3D for just £24.99. In just a couple of years it was on Amazon for a staggering £74.99!Disney vaultImportantly, not all Disney releases are subject to the vault and only the true classics will maintain such demand.
Right now there are just 2 titles out of the vault which I would recommend snapping up. They are Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray and Cinderella Diamond Edition Blu-ray.
‘Get Paid To’ sites
50 poundsSimilar to making money from online surveys, GPT sites reward you in cash and vouchers for completing various offers or activities online.
The most popular sites today are Toluna, Swagbucks and InboxPounds.
Exciting update! We’ll soon be launching our own GPT service for our readers. Invites will be limited and UK only, please join our mailing list if you’re interested in hearing once it’s live:

Start your own website
mark zuckerberg facebookIf you’ve ever seen the film The Social Network then you’ve most likely had your brain spinning as to what website you can start-up to make you billions.
And of course there are lots of stories out there about successful students who have started a site while at university, or even bought a domain name and later sold it for £1000s.
In fact, Save the Student is one such example of a website started at university by Owen Burek in his first year, which has since grown into a full-time and successful enterprise.
Read Owen’s 4-step guide to setting up a website or this guide to making money as a blogger if you’re interested in finding out more. It’s really not that difficult to get started and there are plenty of opportunities to make money online.
Write and publish a Kindle eBook
If students are good at anything, it’s researching and writing. With the Amazon Kindle store, anyone can publish an eBook and make money.
And the Kindle app is now available on almost any device (laptops, iPads, smartphones and yes, Kindles) so your global market is huge!
List your book for £1.49 – £6.99 and you earn 70% of the sale. Considering Amazon is the ultimate selling machine (and remember people are looking to spend), that is a fantastic deal.
kindle ebooksThe key to success with eBooks is to create value, and write non-fiction. Simply bundling information you have researched and complied on a common problem (eg. ‘secrets’ to finding a job) and then presenting it in an easy to digest format (an eBook) justifies someone spending a few quid on it.
Another big tip is to have a great cover designed so it stands out, and once your book is live on the Kindle store it’s really important to get some reviews so it shows up higher in results. Encourage readers to leave an honest review at the end of your book.
The best thing about this lucrative idea is that once you’ve invested the time (say 20 hours), you’ll earn a passive income for years to come! For a step-by-step guide to publishing and earning with eBooks, see “How to write a nonfiction eBook in 21 days“.
Affiliate marketing
If you’ve got a good presence on social media or perhaps you even have a blog or website, you can start bringing in money immediately by promoting all sorts of companies, products, services and offers online.
Affiliate Window logoSign up to an affiliate network such as Affiliate Window, check their offers blog or browse the merchant listings to find something you think your friends would be interested in, grab your affiliate link and share it. If someone buys (can be within up to 90 days) using your link you’ll make a nice commission.
To take it a step further, set up a website (read our guide) or a topical Facebook page and invite all your friends to join it and post your affiliate offers on there.
Mobile phone recycling
mobile recycle
Credit: CannedTuna – Flickr.com
See how much you can get for your old mobile phone using our in-house mobile phone price comparison tool! Maybe ask your parents if they have any lying around too.
You can get some good money and help the environment by recycling mobile phones with certain companies listed on the comparison tool. But be aware: you won’t always get the quoted cash since it depends on ‘condition’. We recommend Mobile Cash Mate for the fairest and highest payouts in most cases (they sent us a £203 cheque for an iPhone 5).
Become a ‘Clickworker’
clickworker
The Clickworker.com concept is based on ‘internet crowd-sourcing’ where businesses advertise specific, scalable tasks they need completing quickly. And for us, it’s an easy way to make fast cash from our couch.
There are a variety of tasks, but most commonly they involve mindless data entry, web research or form filling. You are rewarded and paid in cash (via Paypal) for the work you do, and you can choose for what and when you work. Give it a go. [If you’re US based, also try Amazon’s ‘Mechanical Turk‘].
Claim tax back
Many students work part-time or during the summer months, and others will be on placements or paid internships. More often than not, if you are a student working during the year, you will be overpaying income tax.
Why? Simply because few students reach the personal tax-free income allowance each year but are put on an emergency basic tax-code by their employers meaning tax is being paid when it shouldn’t be.
Click to use the Tax refund calculatorUse our student tax-back service to help you reclaim any tax you should not have paid. Just enter your details in the calculator here to work out what you may be owed. Otherwise for more information read our guide on claiming tax back here.
Get cashback when shopping
Our Quidco Cashback
I earned this much in 2 years
This is not only a way to make money but also to save money as a student. If you look at it in a different way then you are making money with every purchase you would have made anyway, whether it be 10% or 0.5% cashback.
There are a number of cashback sites out there which pay you the commission they otherwise would have earned.
We recommend signing up with Top Cashback, Quidco.com & Swagbucks which are free and offer the best selection of retailers and exclusives.
A part-time job
bar jobsA part-time job is the obvious first choice, opted for by most students looking to supplement their student loan. It provides a pretty steady flow of income and can enable you to gain valuable work experience.
However, depending on where you live, jobs are not always easy to find. Check local classifieds, our student job search, student job websites and your university careers service for vacancies.
It’s also worth signing up with the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, a free service which will match you with both part-time jobs or graduate opportunities.
Read our guide to finding a part-time job whilst studying for more tips.
Gigs on Fiverr
Fiverr pranksFiverr is now the world’s largest marketplace for people to make money selling small services (known as ‘gigs’).
What you offer could be absolutely anything, from writing and translating, social media posting, playing pranks and teaching to creating music, voiceovers and short video clips for people all around the world!
The default price is $5 (hence Fiverr..), but you can attach extra services to gigs for more money. Whilst it might not seem like much, it can quickly add up and there are plenty of examples of people making a really good living from the site. The key is to get a system in place which minimises the time spent on each gig.
But there is another way to profit even more from Fiverr for potentially far less work. How? By simply reselling gigs elsewhere. For example, find a decent logo designer then reply to jobs on Upwork or even local classifieds. A $5 spend can easily become $50+, and it’s repeatable!
If you’re not interested in selling at all there’s SO much good stuff you can get done for yourself. Have a browse and get inspired!
Review music for money
If you love music, make it your business by reviewing unsigned bands and artists online for cash with Slicethepie.
It can take a while to build up your reputation but some users of the site have said that they earn £40 a month. This may not sound like much, but if it’s something you enjoy then it shouldn’t be hard work and is another thing for your CV. Money you earn will be in $US but anyone can sign up and review.
slicethepieTo get started, head over to Slicethepie now or read our quick guide for more info.
Sell your notes
sell your notesIf you don’t mind sharing your notes with other students it’s a great way to generate a little extra cash. There are sites out there that you can upload your notes to, along with your price, and then when another student downloads them you get paid.
Most of these sites like Stuvia & Notesale are free for you to list your notes but tend to take a cut of your profit in order to handle the marketing etc so that you don’t have to go out there and promote your notes yourself.
You will most likely have to upload PDFs but it’s worth it for the return and you can submit handwritten notes but you’re likely to make more money if they’re typed up.
Sell second-hand course books
One great way to make money is to buy other students’ text books at the end of the year, and then sell them just after freshers’ week – when the new intake of students know that they need them!
You can either advertise on campus or list them online very easily on Amazon.co.uk Marketplace (just bear in mind they take a commission on books sold).
For more tips on selling items online click here.
Competitions
Entering competitions of course comes with no guarantees, but there is a growing community of so-called ‘compers’ in the UK consistently making up to £50,000 a year through all sorts of competitions.
Types of competitions available to enter range from simple registration forms and Facebook page liking to answering questions correctly over the phone to being a TV game show contestant. Imagine you made it onto Deal or No Deal instead of just watching it!
Start by entering our very own monthly student competition (Like our Facebook page to see when our next one is)!
competitionsThen head to our active competitions page to enter other free competitions that we have found. Just note that some of these sites may send you spam so use an alias email address and opt-out of as many of the offers as possible.
For loads more tips on achieving success and making money from competitions, read our guide to entering competitions.
Buy and sell domain names
domain-for-saleA domain name is just a website address (eg. ‘savethestudent.org’ or ‘mysite.co.uk’) and there are lots of extensions (.com, .net, .co.uk etc).
They cost as little as £1.99 to register with 123-reg.co.uk or GoDaddy.com yet premium domain names can fetch £1,000s if not millions when sold on. In 2007 VacationRentals.com went for a cool $35m!
Now you’re probably not going to come across anything like that, but you can still turn a quick profit with a bit of searching. The trick is to find available domain names which have some commercial value, snap them up and then list them for sale on a site like Sedo.com.
Mystery shopping
Be A Mystery Shopper, Its Easy!Today becoming a mystery shopper is easier than you think and you can get rewarded handsomely.
We’ve recently come across a really fun smartphone app called Roamler that pays you in cash for completing various tasks in your local area. So definitely check that out first!
More traditionally, there are plenty of agencies that pay you to visit all sorts of shops to feedback on how they are performing. For more info on where to apply see our guide to becoming a mystery shopper.
Be an extra
Do you fancy yourself as a budding young actor or just that person that walks past in the background shot of an episode of Eastenders? It could be you if you apply to be an extra.
The pay isn’t bad either – £60-80 a day on average, and you hardly have to do anything!
You can apply at Be On Screen for a number of opportunities or 2020 casting is another agency (just know they take a cut from your earnings).
Sell all your old CDs, games and movies
cds and dvdsIf you are looking to make a very quick buck, then selling your old bits and bobs that are cluttering up your room is a good idea.
The best thing about it is that you can rip all the songs and films onto your laptop or external hard drive before selling them. This means that you are only really selling the plastic and artwork!
You can earn anything from 10p to £20 per item, and the earnings can really add up if you have a large collection. Whilst you’re at it, see if your parents have any ‘clutter’ they’d be happy to see the back of.
You can also sell almost anything for free on Amazon Marketplace or Preloved and sites like MusicMagpie will pay you instantly for sending in unwanted items.
For more tips and places to sell check out our guide on selling DVDs, CDs and games.
Sell on your education!
Become a tutor to local GCSE or A-level students (find out more about tutoring here). There are now a few online tutor sites too, so you can go also global without too much hassle.
graduate_studentYou may feel as if you aren’t qualified to be a tutor, but seeing as you are at university you will most likely have the qualifications to tutor for GCSE or even A-Level. Some parents may feel that their child will react better to a younger tutor, and it can be great experience, so why not give it a go?
You can advertise on SchoolsTrader or sign up with UK Tutors. You can expect to earn around £10 an hour. However, make sure you don’t have to do too much tutoring around your exams!
Sell your photos
If you think you’ve got a good shot and a little creativity, try uploading your photographs for free to stock websites. A good starting point is Fotolia or istockphoto.
Make more money selling photo subjects that people are demanding, and there’s a great resource to find this out here. It might be a good idea to test them out in print first yourself (get free photo prints here).
Rent out your car parking space
saving petrol and saving moneySome student accommodation comes with a drive or garage. If you aren’t using your parking space and you live in a busy area then you might be in luck. There are plenty of people that may work in the city centre and are fed up of paying through the roof for daily parking.
Advertise your space on Gumtree, Parklet or Just Park.
Or, check out our full guide to renting out your parking space.
Become your own bank
be your own bank‘Peer-to-peer’ lending is the future of banking. It cuts out the middle-man, passing on higher interest rates to you and cheaper loans to borrowers. And it’s all managed online from the comfort of your sofa.
Founded in 2005, Zopa.com is the most established site lending around £1m every day. Right now you can expect to achieve up to 5% fixed return (before tax), depending on how long you choose to lend for.
As with any traditional bank, there is some risk attached with peer-to-peer lending. Zopa have gone a long way to mitigating this with their Safeguard feature, which effectively spreads your money across a wide range of borrowers (who are also credit checked).
Work as a charity collector
Ok so this job takes a certain kind of person, as you’ll have to take a lot of rejection and be persistent.
But if you are bubbly, personable and reckon you could sell ice to an Eskimo then this could actually be a great student money making idea. You get paid commission on new sign ups (typically around £20).
Have a look at Wesser as well as charity websites like Oxfam.
Babysitting
messy kidIt’s a classic money-maker, and for good reason. You get paid (well) to watch TV and not very much else!
Be warned that you will need a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check to look after small children, even though some parents may not ask for one. If you are wondering what to charge, look at local Gumtree ads, but you can expect to be paid over £8ph even if you aren’t trained in child care.
Aside from advertising yourself, you might want to try creating a profile on Findababysitter.com. It really is easy money (unless you get stuck with the child from hell!).
Dog walking & sitting
If babies ain’t your thing, then maybe canines are… looking after other people’s dogs is big business. Just think that as a student you’re likely to have free time during the day when others are out at work and worried about their pets at home.
You could bag around £7 per dog for an hour walk, and it’s also a great way to keep fit. Join Tailster who will match you up with dog owners. Alternatively advertise your services locally with fliers or on classified websites such as Gumtree.
Rent out your house for filming
filmreelDirectors for TV and film are always on the hunt for houses to film in. For instance, a scene for Coronation Street was recently filmed in the student house one of the Save the Student editors used to live in!
Not only can you make good money but it’s crazy seeing your own place on TV. Start out by looking at this site.
Rent out your body
student thinkingAccording to our recent survey, 7% of students use their body in some way to make a buck.
If you are comfortable taking off your kit then why not try life modelling. Sit there in the buff while budding artists capture your every curve (or pokey bits) in frightening detail! Try RAM, a website especially designed for these kind of jobs.
You could also get involved in clinical drug trials, but be sure you fully appreciate any risks attached.
Warning: Do not do anything you are not comfortable with, no matter how desperate you are for money! There has been an unhealthy rise in student prostitution in recent years – do not fall victim to it!
Freelance work
Perhaps you enjoy writing, managing Facebook pages or doing a little bit of graphic design in your spare time. There are so many freelance jobs out there that require simple skills or just time that someone else might not have.
And the best thing about freelancing is that you can work for clients in the UK and around the world with just an internet connection from home, to your own hours whilst developing valuable skills.
A great place to start is with the leading freelance site Upwork.com. Or try using our student job search to find freelance jobs closer to home.
Busking
Busking studentIf you can sing or dance then this is your time to shine baby! Did you know that Justin Bieber started off busking? That’s right, with a little work you can be as annoying as him.
There are really no tips for this except choose a good spot with high footfall, make sure you are good and play your heart out. Some buskers in the past have been known to make upwards of £20 hour.
Sell clothes on eBay
ebay-logoEveryone’s best friend when it comes to getting rid of junk is eBay. Online auctions are a sure-fire way to turn that sleeveless jacket (which came in and out of fashion in a week) into hard cash.
Some eBay sellers look at trends and try to predict what will be big ahead of the market. If you are good and don’t mind taking a risk then you can buy early in bulk and sell on when the craze hits.
For lots more tips on selling on eBay read this guide.
Sell your stories and videos
If you have an interesting story then you could try selling it to the papers. It could be anything from sleeping with a professional footballer to getting caught in a clothes horse!
One of the Save the Student team was unfortunate enough to have a pigeon fly through and smash their window at university and sold the story to The Sun for a tidy £50.
You could also film your mates at all times and send it into You’ve Been Framed to net yourself £250 and a few seconds of fame.
YouTube videos
According to recent stats we now watch more videos on YouTube than searches on Google. And with the recently introduced YouTube Partner Program you can now profit from making and uploading videos. You will receive a percentage of the advertising revenue collected per 1,000 views.
Depending on how successful you are (virality, subscriber base and topic) you can make a lot of money, and there are plenty of stories every week of more and more YouTubers making it their career.
For more tips read our guide to making money from YouTube.
Network marketing
the business of the 21st centuryAlso known as Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), this is a business model that allows you to generate ongoing income in two ways: by making a commission selling products and by recruiting other members who go on to sell. The later allows you to make money from the sales made by those you have recruited.
Importantly, this is not a pyramid scheme (they are illegal) because there is an end goal which involves a customer buying a product or service of value.
It’s also not a ‘get rich quick’ scheme. You will have to work I’m afraid! However with the growth of social media, network marketing is becoming easier and lots of people are now making a decent living from it.
This is a serious way of making good money on your own terms and it’s well worth reading up on it. I recommend getting “The Business of the 21st Century” by Robert Kiyosaki.
Source property for wealthy investors
contents insuranceWe all know how much money there is in property, but on the surface (with house prices as high as they are) you might be thinking this market is off-limits.
Truth is, lots of people make a great deal of cash simply sourcing suitable properties for wealthy investors who simply have no time.
The trick is to find properties below market value (BMV) by avoiding estate agents and instead flyering your area with your contact details offering to buy houses. Then approach investors with a no-brainer offer to pass on the details of cut-price property in exchange for a % of the sale value.
Most cities will have monthly networking events for landlords and property investors. Track these down, sign up, put on your best suit and go along with lots of business cards. Or you could start on LinkedIn or even Twitter to build some initial contacts.
As you might imagine, this isn’t necessarily a quick way to make money but once you’ve got a few investors in your phone book it can prove to be very lucrative in the long run. If you’re interested, I recommend reading this book.
There are many other creative ways to make money as a student, such as our 50 business ideas. With any luck you’ll be on the road to making millions! Please feel free to share your own ideas by leaving a comment

5 Real Ways to Actually Make Money Online

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 21:44:00 +0000

How many articles are there about making money online? Thousands? Millions? Enough? Probably. But there’s a problem. Too many of them are just sales pitches to convince you to sign up for some seminar, webinar, training session or some other way to become an online millionaire.

They really give online money making a bad name. But it is possible to make money online. I mean, the people selling all of those millionaire pitches are making money, right?

There are legitimate ways to make money online. The problem is that the real ways to make money aren’t “get rich quick” schemes.

Most of them require a lot of work and sometimes a lot of dedication before seeing a return on your time. But if you really want to make money online, work from home or turn an idea into a business, you can do it. You can even earn money with apps if you don’t want to venture all the way to the computer.

I’m going to tell you about all kinds of legitimate ways to make money online. Since we are talking about legitimate jobs, you’ve got to be…well, legitimate. Many of these options are real jobs that require you to put in hours if you want to get paid. They also require real work. Here are some tips for actually getting the job:

Take it seriously. Yes, you’re applying for an online job. Yes, you can do the work in your underwear, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a “real job”. You must treat it as such or they aren’t going to treat you as a serious candidate. You aren’t the only one who wants to work in their underwear. In fact, the competition online is likely higher than it is in your local area.
Be professional. When you submit a résumé, don’t type it in ALL CAPS and please don’t avoid the caps lock like the plague. Know how to use it without looking incompetent. Write in complete sentences with proper grammar. Of course, there will be exceptions, but even with the exceptions, you must keep it professional. You’re building their view of you.
Give some, but not all. Whether you’re providing writing samples, a photography portfolio or links to your work, give them enough examples to get the idea, but not so many that they don’t even know where to start. And while we’re on the topic, give them some of your background information, but don’t tell them your life story.
Double check yourself, before you double wreck yourself. Make sure everything you send to a company, whether a résumé, an email or a portfolio, is good to go. Double check your grammar and wording, and for God’s sake use spell check! This is especially important when it comes to the company’s name. Don’t spell their name wrong and be sure to type it how they type it (e.g. Problogger, not Pro Blogger).
1. Websites That Pay
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way. There are all kinds of websites that will pay you for various things, such as shopping, taking surveys or testing products. No, I’m not getting paid to promote any of these and no, these websites won’t make you a millionaire, but they are great for earning some extra cash. I’ll leave out the scams.

Here are some legitimate websites that pay:

Swagbucks – Swagbucks is great for earning some extra cash. You can do a variety of things to make money, from taking surveys to using their search engine. You won’t get rich, but you will earn a few bucks. If you have the time to kill, you can spend it earning some extra cash, instead of surfing the web.
InboxDollars – InboxDollars is similar to Swagbucks, since you’re going to be taking surveys, shopping, etc., so if you want to maximize your return, sign up with both websites. They also offer a search engine that pays you (like Swagbucks) and you get $5 just for signing up. I won’t continue to list survey sites one after another down the list, but if you want to get paid to take surveys, also check out GlobalTestMarket, E-Poll Surveys and Survey Club.
Project Payday – Project Payday is one of those sites that has testimonials of people who have earned thousands of dollars by getting paid to get trial offers. I’m not saying you’ll earn thousands, but it is legit and you can earn some extra cash. They assume that by paying you to do a free trial, you’ll either like the product and purchase it, or forget to cancel the trial and get charged for it. If you can keep track and cancel before you get charged (if you don’t want the product), then this is a great site for making some money.
User Testing – User Testing pays $10 a pop for testing websites. A test usually takes about 15-20 minutes. The purpose is for a website owner to watch someone, who is new to their site, try to navigate it. The value that the site owner gets by watching an actual user experience is worth a ton, but $10 isn’t a bad pay-out.
Fiverr – Fiverr is a great place to make a few bucks or spend a few bucks if you need some of the services people offer. Basically, everything is $5. You either pay $5 or charge $5. They call them “gigs.” You can offer your services however you choose. If you sell art and you’re fine selling pieces for $5 each, that’s a gig. If you’re a graphic designer and you want to offer your services for $10/hour, simply offer a 30 minute gig. If they need two hours of graphic design, they pay you $20, or $10/hour by buying four gigs.
IZEA – IZEA works in addition to a blog or on its own. You get paid to blog, tweet, take photos and take videos. The pay is mostly based on your following, so if you want to make money with your tweets, you’ll need to grow you Twitter following. Likewise, if you want to make money with blogs, you’ll need substantial blog traffic (more on blogging below).
2. Freelance Writing
Freelance writing is one of the most popular ways to earn money online. Many successful freelancers can earn an average of 50 cents to a dollar per word. Some are earning twice that!

Of course, it doesn’t start out like that. You’ve got to build your portfolio and your résumé, blah blah blah. If you’re interested in writing, I’m sure you know this. If you’re not interested in writing, I wouldn’t recommend traveling down this road just for the money.

It takes dedication and time, though it can be highly profitable if it’s what you love. Assuming it is what you love, let’s talk about making money with it.

Before you decide to start reaching out to all of these freelance writing companies, you need to have a web presence. You need a blog (in my humble blogger opinion, of course).

Or you could just have an online portfolio. Even a LinkedIn profile works to get started. When you’re ready to start, here are 150 resources to help you write better, faster and more persuasively.

If that’s intimidating, just start with these 50 resources.

Now for what you’ve all been waiting for; once you’re ready to actually start making money, here are 10 websites you can start with:

Listverse – Listverse pays $100 for each accepted post. The article must be a list, it must be at least 1,500 words and you must include at least 10 things. Other than that, you can get pretty creative with it.
TopTenz – TopTenz pays $50 for each accepted post. Again, the article has to be in a list format and it must be at least 1,500 words, with few exceptions. They post often so your chances of getting accepted are fairly high.
A List Apart – A List Apart pays $200 for each accepted post. They’re not first on the list, because they tend to publish less articles, which means you have a smaller chance of getting accepted. Same guidelines as above, 1,500 word minimum.
International Living – International Living pays $75 for each accepted post. They are mostly looking for travel experiences from countries you have visited. For this site, it’s more about your experience than your writing ability.
FundsforWriters – FundsforWriters pays $50 for each accepted post. They are looking for articles about writing and making money with it. They only accept articles between 500-600 words, but they want you to make each word count.
Uxbooth – Uxbooth pays $100 for each accepted post. They do tend to take four to eight weeks to accept and post articles, so don’t count on this being a quick money maker. They take so long, because they pair with editors to only publish amazing content.
iWriter – iWriter pays up to $15 for each accepted post. That may seem small, but they aren’t as strict as many of the others above and they also allow you to pick exactly what you write. You can write as many or as few articles as you want.
Textbroker – Textbroker pays up to five cents per word, if you’re a 5-star writer. You’ll start by submitting a short sample article and you will most likely start as a 3-star writer, but you can work your way up by writing more and writing great content.
Matador Network – Matador Network pays up to $60 for each accepted post, but standard pay is around $20-$25. They don’t really focus on a minimum word count, but they have a maximum count of 1,500 words.
The Penny Hoarder – The Penny Hoarder pays up to $800 (rarely), depending upon the number of page views you receive. The pay starts at $100 for 50,000 page views, so this isn’t a guaranteed paid article, but it can potentially be highly rewarding.
There’s no doubt that you can make money with freelance writing, but it’s a process. Once you start building your portfolio and your writing skills, you can start making some serious money. If you’re not an experienced writer, expect to put some time in before you really start to see some dough.

3. Sell Your Stuff
Ever since the idea of online auctions came into existence, the online selling market has been on the rise. Many are interested, but don’t know how to get started. There are still all kinds of ways to make money by selling online, whether you’re selling what you already have or buying and selling like a store. Before we get started, here are a few general tips when selling anything online:

Get a PayPal account. If you don’t have a PayPal account, you’ll want to get one if you’re doing business online. It’s the standard in online business for receiving payment and paying others.
Take good pictures. Some of the options below don’t require you to actually take the picture and sell the product, but for the ones that do, make sure you take a clear picture that makes your product stand out from the others. If you’re going to be taking a lot of pictures, set up a small “studio-like” area in your home with a backdrop and proper lighting to really make your pictures come across as professional. And of course, you’ll want a good camera too.
Be honest. If you’re selling used items, be honest about every dent, scratch, blemish, etc.. This will reduce many issues you could run into and keep your reviews positive.
Do good business. Plain and simple. Whether you’re selling on a small site or opening an online store, your customer service matters. You’ll want to get those positive reviews and make a good name for yourself. Respond to questions, concerns and complaints. Offer a guarantee if available.
Follow those guidelines and you will do well in online sales. When you’re ready to start selling, here’s where you go:

Amazon – Have you heard of FBA? It stands for “Fulfilled by Amazon” and it’s getting pretty popular. Basically, you buy products (in bulk is best) and ship them to Amazon for them to store. When your products sell, Amazon packs them up, ships them out and sends you the money (after taking their cut). There are people making a full-time living from FBA, while others just do it for some extra money.
CraigsList – Some things don’t ship very well. Other things may make you feel uncomfortable to sell to someone across the country. Anytime you’re selling a large item or something you just don’t want to ship, Craigslist is a great place to go. It’s simple to list your item (again, take good pictures!). If you don’t like the idea of putting your phone number out there, the interested individual can send you a message to your inbox without even getting your email address.
eBay – Of course you can’t read an article about making money online that doesn’t mention eBay. You can start an eBay store and get serious about it or you can just sell some stuff to declutter your home. Either way, I’ve made my fair share from selling on eBay and it’s still a popular way to earn money. If you decide to start an actual eBay store, you’ll want to find a drop-ship business like Doba that will store and ship items straight to your customers so you don’t have to deal with an inventory.
Etsy – If you like to create arts and crafts, you can sell them on Etsy.It’s completely free to open an Etsy store. You simply sign up, post pictures of your creations and starting selling. You can choose your payment option, but PayPal is generally the easiest. Etsy makes it easy to sell and keep track of your inventory. There is a small listing fee and they take 3.5% of every sale you make.
Facebook – Facebook swap shops are great for selling things locally. It’s like CraigsList, but a little easier. You simply search for swap shops in your area and ask to join the group. Once you’re in, take a picture of the item, write a quick description with the price and post it. It doesn’t get much easier than that. You can generally expect to get about what you would get at a yard sale, maybe a little more.

4. Blogging
Hey look, an article about making money online that doesn’t mention blogging. . . oh wait, here it is.

First off, I’m a blogger so it seems wrong not to mention it, but more importantly, it’s a legitimate way to make money. It’s quite possibly the least straight-forward way on this list, but it’s very doable and it’s also quite possibly the funnest way on this list. I love blogging and I know hundreds of bloggers who feel the same. So let’s talk about making money blogging and what it really means.

Blogging is something that requires patience, persistence and discipline. It may mean writing everyday for over a year before you really start to see any money from it. There are exceptions to the rule, but from my dealings with other bloggers, it seems to be pretty common to spend one or even two years building your blog, your brand and your authority, before making any serious amount of money.

Some people argue that you can make money without a lot of traffic and while that is true in some circumstances, you will generally need a lot of website traffic to start earning from a blog and that takes a while. Once you’ve reached that point, here are the primary ways to monetize your blog and start earning:

Advertising – This is definitely the most old-school way of earning money with a blog. It’s also starting to become the least common way. You can sell advertising spots directly on your site or you can sign up with a company like Google AdSense or Media.net. Either way, you won’t see a whole lot of money from ads until your views are well into the thousands each day.
Affiliates – There are many affiliate networks, such as FlexOffers and CJ Affiliate that allow you to promote other people’s products and services. You simply put a link or a banner on your page and then you get a percentage if someone clicks through and buys the product/service. You’ll want to select products that are specifically within your blog’s category.This is an effective way to earn money once you have the traffic coming to your blog.
Membership – Many people have created a paid membership area on their blog. This is typically for exclusive content that you can only access in the “member’s area.” If you have a really great idea on what to include, this can be a great idea. You’ll have to create something that can’t easily be accessed around the web.
Products – You can create your own product, such as an ebook or computer software. You would then use your blog as a promotion tool to get people to buy your product. As long as you create a legitimate product with a whole lot of value, you should be able to get some buyers, but like everything else with a blog, you’ll need the traffic to get the sells.
Services – You can offer a paid service, such as life coaching, blog coaching, goal setting or financial planning. Just be sure to investigate all the legal implications and make sure you’re not claiming to be a professional if you’re not one. With a service like this, you’re basically using your blog to sell yourself. You’ll need to convince people that you’re worth buying and then be able to back up your claims once they purchase your service.
Sponsored/paid posts – Many blogs publish sponsored and paid posts. Sponsored posts are basically just posts about a specific brand, product or service. A company will pay you to publish an article about it. It’s similar with other paid posts as well. Your basically selling the spot for the article on your site. If you decide to take this route, you’ll want to build your traffic before you will get many offers.
Subscription – If you think of something valuable (newsletter, online magazine, etc.) that you can consistently offer on a certain basis (weekly, monthly, etc.), you may want to offer a subscription service. This could be a fee charged each time your product is sent out or on a monthly basis. Either way, this has to be something that your customers can only get by subscribing to your website.
Videos – This could be an entire section on it’s own. Many people have made money by creating YouTube videos. Evan of EvanTube is a kid and he has made millions by creating reviews of products that other kids his age would use. It’s not easy to get views into the millions, but once you do, you’ll start seeing some cash come in. Many bloggers have completely turned to videos to get their point across by starting a video blog.
If you’re truly interested in becoming a blogger, start by looking through the archives of ProBlogger, Copyblogger and Boost Blog Traffic. Then go read through all the free guides over at Quick Sprout. It may take you a year to complete those tasks alone, but it will be worth it. You’ll practically have a MBA in blogging.

5. Work-at-Home Companies
Finally, there are some companies that will hire you to work from the comfort of your own home. If you’re interested in working for someone else, while still making your own schedule and deciding where to work from, here are a few companies that will let you do just that:

CrowdSource – CrowdSource offers many types of jobs from “microtask” jobs to larger writing and editing jobs. You decide how much you work and you can do most of it right at your computer.
Demand Studios – Demand Studios is hiring all kinds of creative professionals, from writer to filmmakers. The pay isn’t amazing, but it’s competitive for a work-at-home job.
Fast Chart – Fast Chart allows you to work from home as a medical transcriptionist. There are some requirments and qualifications listed on the page, but if you meet them, you’ll make competitive pay for the industry. You’ll also be able to set your own schedule since you’ll be working from home.
Leap Force – Leap Force is one way that Google rates websites for search engine ranking. If you’re hired, you make decent money (usually over $11/hour), you set your own schedule and it can be pretty fun to view and rank websites.
Liveops – Liveops is a call center that allows you to work from home. Once your set up to take the calls, you can begin making a weekly schedule and working from home. The pay is generally close to $10/hour, but you can earn more with commissions.
SpeakWrite – SpeakWrite will pay you up to $15/hour to transcribe information. You set your own schedule and work from home.
Now you’ve got many different options to start earning online. If you saw something that really interests you, try it out and learn more about it. If you’re really wanting to make a full-time income online, you need to be dedicated to learning how to do what you want to do.

8 Work-From-Home Jobs That Earn You Serious Money

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:06:00 +0000

It’s no exaggeration to say that a large portion of the working class would absolutely love to work from home. No traffic, no meaningless water cooler chat, no extraneous distractions to deal with. Sounds like a dream come true.

But is there really money to be made working in your pajamas? You bet. You just have to get in the right industry, and you’ll find you can create a steady cash flow regardless of whether or not you got dressed in the morning. Some of the best paying jobs that allow you to work from home are:

1. Clinical Regulatory Affairs Director
As a regulatory affairs director, you’ll be tasked with planning, preparing, and submitting products that have been clinically tested and approved to the national and international markets. Working from home, you’ll document the trial process, as well as create the marketing documentation to accompany the product being sent for approval. Snaring a position as a work from home affairs director will also snare you a lofty $150K a year.

2. Supervisory Attorney
Not all lawyers spend their days in court. Many people with law degrees who are also members of the Bar opt to simply act as advisers to those in need of legal assistance. These attorneys may focus their efforts on other aspects of the law rather than criminal cases, such as tax or real estate law. By making themselves available through telecommunications, they can reach a far wider clientele than if they were to practice locally. You’d still need to be a member of the Bar in the state in which you plan to practice, though. Going this route would earn you around $117K per year.

3. Senior Medical Writer
Like many technical writing gigs, senior medical writers can work remotely as they review medical information and translate it into various medical documents. They also may be tasked with reviewing and editing documentation created by peers and supervisors, proofreading for typographical and factual errors. Attention to detail is an absolute must when dealing with medical writing, and you also must have a medical or science degree to your name to be considered for the job. If you’re qualified, you can end up making $110K a year as a senior medical writer.

4. Environmental Engineer
Environmental engineers aren’t necessarily homebound, but most of their paperwork can be done from anywhere they please. These engineers design and assess pollution reduction and prevention approaches and plans, and analyze the best course of action for municipalities to take. As mentioned, they will often have to work in the field while conducting research and collecting data, but they’ll be able to take the information home with them to study and report on from the comfort of their own living room. Like medical writers, environmental engineers’ salaries fall around the $110K mark.

5. Director of Quality Improvement
Regardless of the industry, all companies strive to be the best they can be. A quality improvement director works to design and develop best practices related to systems administration and data architecture. If that’s too much jargon for one sentence, basically these employees analyze what a company is doing well, and what it could improve upon, and reports back to the managers and CEO. Quality improvement directors are natural leaders who have knowledge of on-going trends regarding quality, safety, and reliability within the industry. Working remotely on quality improvement could net you $100K a year.

6. Senior Software Engineer
It shouldn’t be a surprise that computer programmers can work from their home computer. Software engineers develop and design software, maintain oversight of programs, manage development teams, and troubleshoot issues colleagues face throughout the process. Collaborating online may actually be more effective for software engineers, as they won’t have to leave their work stations to discuss progress, and can continue to work on their projects seamlessly. A talented software engineer can bring home around $100K for his contributions to a company.

7. Director of Business Development
As a director of business development, you’d be tasked with managing large sales territories and maintaining steady revenue, while simultaneously researching ways in which to increase your business reach and income. You also would collaborate with directors in other territories and develop programs in order to increase coherency throughout different areas. Directors of business development will often have to travel and make in-person sales pitches, but a majority of their work can be done remotely. Working as a director can earn you around $100K or more, depending on your success.

8. Research Biologist
One advantage of working from home as a biologist is you’ll never be pressured into saving a beached whale. All kidding aside, research biologists usually specialize in a specific area of biology, such as microbiology or wildlife studies. They conduct research and analyze test results, then report back to their company regarding their findings. Like environmental engineers, research biologists will sometimes have to go into the field to conduct research, but can do the rest of the work from anywhere they feel comfortable. Although not as hefty as some of the other salaries on this list, research biologists can earn around $93K a year working mostly from home.

30 Interesting And Scam Free Ways To Make Money Online

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:02:00 +0000

As a writer who has been writing online since 2005, I’ve run across – and tried – plenty of varied ways to make money online. I’ve seen the scams and been blessed by discovering legitimate ways to make money online.

Here are 30 unique ways to earn some cash via the Internet:

1. Amazon: Publish your own Kindle books
Real people who love writing and marketing are finding that they can publish their own digital books directly to Amazon using their Kindle Direct Publishing platform. Take for instance blogger Thomas Strock, who made $6,716.05 in one month alone from all his Kindle books. Not bad for an 18-year-old.

2. Google AdSense: Set up your own niche websites
I love reading the way that Spencer Haws – not the basketball player, but the webmaster – sets up websites focused around a variety of topics and then places Google AdSense ads on them to make money.

3. YouTube: Make money via video ads
If you know your way around your smartphone’s video feature, try to earn a $4 million per year like vlogger PewDiePie by uploading interesting videos to YouTube.com and monetizing them, praying they go viral.

4. Squidoo: Write interesting articles
There’s a noteworthy monetary trail on Virginia Allain’s Squidoo page that shows how her income has climbed and fallen over the years. As of August 2014, she made $676 for the month via the site.

5: iTunes App Store: Sell your own app
You don’t even need to be as technically inclined as Harlan Yee, a developer who made nearly $500 in July 2014 from his mobile apps. Even if you don’t know how to code apps, you can hire developers on sites like Elance to code them for you.

6. Upwork: Hawk your words
Speaking of Elance, the husband and wife team – Troy and Valerie Mellema – who run their “Words You Want” freelance writing business on the site, show current earnings of more than $450,000 over the past 12 months. Enough said.

7. eBay: Sell things around your house – or buy things to sell for higher prices
Tons of people have turned to eBay.com to make extra cash. Simply search through the “sold” listings to see the kinds of items that have sold recently and for how much. Whether you start off as a smaller seller like this blogger Yolanda, who is using her eBay profits to pay off her student loans – or whether you become a big player who buys shoes en masse and resells them for a profit, if you like selling and shipping stuff, give it a try.

8. Fiverr: Make money of just about any talent
If you scroll through the most popular sellers on Fiverr.com, you’ll note that they make money by offering everything from voiceover work to Photoshop skills.

9. iStockPhoto: Upload your photos, videos and illustrations for earnings
If you have a penchant for taking pics or drawing vector illustrations and the like, you can sell them as stock artwork on sites like iStockPhoto, where you’ll see that exclusive contributors and sellers like Beach Cottage Photography have experienced loads of downloads.

10: Instagram: Turn your social media photos into prints for a profit
Instagram.com isn’t just for sharing interesting pics or showing off your skinny waist in a corset. These days, photographers like Daniel Arnold have learned that he can make $15,000 in one day from the site. Even 15-year-old Ryan Parrilla has gotten in on the action and sells his beautiful Instagram photos as prints.

11. Whatever you want dot com: Start your own academy dot com
Popular author and speaker Pat Flynn worked as an architect until he got laid off in 2008. That turned out to be a big blessing in disguise, because he parlayed his knowledge of the LEED AP exam into a site called Green Exam Academy, which – among many additional pursuits – earned him nearly $4,500 for the month of June 2014 alone. Therefore, in the same way that sites like FXAcademy.com can help people wanting to learn more about Forex trading, use your own special career skills to help others who might seek information about your industry.

12. SiteSell: Work towards becoming a six-figure blogger
Lisa Irby has made more than $100,000 per year by teaching others for years how to start their own websites – either using WordPress or a SiteSell service that she loves. Follow her down-to-earth blog for tips and instructions on getting started.

13. Amazon Associates: Place special links on your blog to earn commissions on sales
Amazon Associates is a program that lets bloggers and writers place referral links to products on their websites or share via social media, etc., and when shoppers click through those links and buy something, the online retailer pays them a portion of the sale. Chris Guthrie has made goo-gobs of money that way over the years.

14. LinkShare: Recommend products and services to your readers
Retailers like Macy’s, Petsmart, Kohl’s and even Walmart have a presence on LinkShare.com, whereby if they approve you for participation in their programs, you can make money when customers buy products via your links. Harlan Yee made $118 in June 2014 that way.

15. Udemy: Teach an online course
Udemy profiled three successful course teachers using their site to make anywhere from $200 to $2,500 or more per month. Therefore, if you love teaching and have the kind of specialized skills folks are willing to pay for, you may find yourself enjoying a thriving online teaching business.

16. oDesk: Become a virtual assistant
The popular freelancing site called oDesk is merging with Elance, but on both you’ll find plenty of jobs posted by clients seeking virtual assistants to help them with plenty of tasks for varying rates. Scrolling through the administrative support category on Elance will turn up a bevy of individuals and companies that list their earnings as well.

17. Bubblews: Publish short, micro-articles for money
The interesting thing about sites like Bubblews is that anyone can join and publish short articles that earn small bits of money based on the number of views, comments, and other activity they receive. I’m a living witness that I’ve made $25 thus far from the site – albeit very slowly – and Michael Cimicata has apparently made at least $42.45 from the site as well.

18. Women’s Leadership Forum at BestBuy.com: Blog for gift cards, products
The site called WOLF at Best Buy is pretty fun, and us female bloggers generally jump at the chance to earn $50 Best Buy gift cards or products worth even more for writing about various specials, sales, etc., and promoting them to social media.

19. CJ.com: Promote products and services
Similar to other affiliate program sites, the website named Commission Junction at CJ.com features big name retailers Expedia, ULTA Beauty and QVC, who all offer to pay writers a portion of the sales they bring to those sites. I’ve made hundreds over the years from doing so.

20. Etsy: Pitch your jewelry and quirky designs
Some of the top sellers on Etsy, like beanforest, find success by selling pins. Find a wide variety of handmade and other crafts that may inspire you to sell there as well.

21. Teespring: A new model for selling t-shirts
A brand new way of selling t-shirts has arrived online, and sites like Teespring allow users to sell shirts that are of a great quality and don’t get created until there are enough buyers interested in the product, sort of like a shirt-on-demand business. Earnings for the campaigns can be discerned via the site’s data about the amount of shirts sold and the price per item.

22. Café Press: Sell customized products the old-fashioned way
If you’re no fan of the Teespring motto that forces you to “tip” a certain amount of sales prior to your shirts being printed, you can always use the old standby Café Press website to sell shirts, mugs and other stuff one by one.

23. Amazon FBA: Sell products with the “Fulfilled by Amazon” label
You know those products that you see on Amazon for sale from third-party sellers that still offer Amazon Prime shipping and “ships from Amazon” status? Those are sold by folks who ship products to Amazon’s fulfillment centers – and hopefully for a profit. Experts like Nathan Holmquist and Cynthia Stine are pros at doing so.

24. Examiner: Make money by writing articles
This writer just celebrated her 5th anniversary writing for Examiner.com, and although it usually doesn’t represent the $5,000 months of income that my PayPal account has seen during certain eras, the site does still pay writers about $5 for every 1,000 hits their articles receive. Carol Tice writes about making a full-time living there.

25. Deviant Art: Get money for your artwork
Just the other day I paid $5 for 400 points so my daughter could have her favorite artist on Deviant Art, Candi Floss, draw something for her that’s unique once she begins taking orders again. If you have similar skills, sell them on the site for artists and their fans.

26. Flippa: Create a profitable website and sell it
If you are good with setting up websites, you can use the site called Flippa to find someone to buy it from you when you need cash.

27. Social Spark: Write for money and trips
The site called Social Spark by IZEA Media allows bloggers to earn cash (or even trips, like I did when I was awarded a great one-night stay at Kalahari Waterpark for my whole family) for writing about a variety of products or experiences. Find a list of other bloggers who’ve benefitted on the site.

28. GoDaddy: Flip a popular dot com name
Let’s say you were smart enough to buy NoriWest.com or another potentially profitable domain name before anyone else. List it on GoDaddy Auctions and try to make money for a popular dot com name.

29. PayPal: Take money directly for your services
No matter if you’re a personal trainer, an SEO expert or a web assistant, you can always use online means to have your customers pay you. Take advantage of all the options that sites like PayPal.com or Square.com offer to make it easier for people to put money into your accounts.

30. Kontera: Monetize your content and social following with in-line and other ads
Another way to make money off of your online writings and social media following is to allow certain sites like Kontera to place ads within the content, whereby they automatically hyperlink certain words with relevant advertisements.

There you go! With 30 interesting ways to make money online listed above, you should start seeing your Internet income increase in no time.

Traveling in Greece

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 13:54:00 +0000

Each year Greece welcomes visitors from all over the world. In summer of course tourist movement soars as the Greek sun is synonymous with freedom and a carefree lifestyle, yet the country’s mild climate and many attractions, along with its excellent infrastructure, have made Greece a favourite destination in winter too.
One can travel to Greece in many different ways: by road, plane, train or sea. Major roads link Greece with Europe and Asia. The country’s airports provide top-notch services. Rail connections with Europe allow for a lovely nostalgic journey. And last but not least, Greek ports welcome ocean-going ships and local ferries all year round.
By plane, ship, train or car, or even a combination of transportation means, traveling to Greece is relatively simple and quick, even though it is situated at the southernmost corner of Europe and the Balkan Peninsula!

Visitgreece.gr

FORMATION COMPANIES IN BULGARIA

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 14:22:00 +0000

We assist you for the formation of your company in Bulgaria.
It is relatively easy to establish a company in Bulgaria. We advise our clients about the most legally and financially suitable decisions for their business activity in Bulgaria and help them to find appropriate corporative form, whether as a sole trader, joint partnership or stock company.
After you have chosen the type of enterprise, we prepare all documents needed in English and Bulgarian language taking into account the specifications of your business.
Pursuant to the Bulgarian commercial law each trader is supposed to indicate his company headquarters at the Commercial Register. If you do not plan to rent a private office, we offer our clients a domicile service, including postal services.
Our personnel provide you assistance with the notary appointments and with the opening of a bank account for the deposition of the share capital. We further represent you in the process of your company registration in front of the Bulgarian Commercial Register.
Following the formation of the company, on your behalf we request the Bank to provide an online banking service, so that you can freely operate with the company’s financial assets. All bank documents will be sent to you by priority post. At yours discretion we can further register your company in the National Revenue Agency in order to acquire value added tax identification number and take over the ongoing bookkeeping.

Our services in Bulgaria include:

Advice on the appropriate enterprise form
Applying for a company name
Preparation of corporate documents in English, German and Bulgarian
Notary appointments
Opening of a bank account for the deposit of the capital funds in a bank of your choice
Application for the registration of the company in the Commercial Register
Domicile service in Sofia, Bulgaria
Company accounts in banks of your choice, including Online banking services
Commercial register’s certificate of registration with accredited translation and Apostil
Applying for VAT registration
Secretarial/office services
Accounting services in English, Greek and Bulgarian

http://www.bulgarian-company.com

New Research From NASA Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 13:40:00 +0000

New research from NASA suggests that Venus may have had a shallow liquid-water ocean and habitable surface temperatures for up to 2 billion years of its early history.

The findings, published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, were obtained with a model similar to the type used to predict future climate change on Earth.

“Many of the same tools we use to model climate change on Earth can be adapted to study climates on other planets, both past and present,” said Michael Way, a researcher at GISS and the paper’s lead author. “These results show ancient Venus may have been a very different place than it is today.”

Venus today is a hellish world. It has a crushing carbon dioxide atmosphere 90 times as thick as Earth’s. There is almost no water vapor. Temperatures reach 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) at its surface.

Scientists long have theorized that Venus formed out of ingredients similar to Earth’s, but followed a different evolutionary path. Measurements by NASA’s Pioneer mission to Venus in the 1980s first suggested Venus originally may have had an ocean. However, Venus is closer to the sun than Earth and receives far more sunlight. As a result, the planet’s early ocean evaporated, water-vapor molecules were broken apart by ultraviolet radiation, and hydrogen escaped to space. With no water left on the surface, carbon dioxide built up in the atmosphere, leading to a so-called runaway greenhouse effect that created present conditions.

Previous studies have shown that how fast a planet spins on its axis affects whether it has a habitable climate. A day on Venus is 117 Earth days. Until recently, it was assumed that a thick atmosphere like that of modern Venus was required for the planet to have today’s slow rotation rate. However, newer research has shown that a thin atmosphere like that of modern Earth could have produced the same result. That means an ancient Venus with an Earth-like atmosphere could have had the same rotation rate it has today.

Another factor that impacts a planet’s climate is topography. The GISS team postulated ancient Venus had more dry land overall than Earth, especially in the tropics. That limits the amount of water evaporated from the oceans and, as a result, the greenhouse effect by water vapor. This type of surface appears ideal for making a planet habitable; there seems to have been enough water to support abundant life, with sufficient land to reduce the planet’s sensitivity to changes from incoming sunlight.

Way and his GISS colleagues simulated conditions of a hypothetical early Venus with an atmosphere similar to Earth’s, a day as long as Venus’ current day, and a shallow ocean consistent with early data from the Pioneer spacecraft. The researchers added information about Venus’ topography from radar measurements taken by NASA’s Magellan mission in the 1990s, and filled the lowlands with water, leaving the highlands exposed as Venusian continents. The study also factored in an ancient sun that was up to 30 percent dimmer. Even so, ancient Venus still received about 40 percent more sunlight than Earth does today.

“In the GISS model’s simulation, Venus’ slow spin exposes its dayside to the sun for almost two months at a time,” co-author and fellow GISS scientist Anthony Del Genio said. “This warms the surface and produces rain that creates a thick layer of clouds, which acts like an umbrella to shield the surface from much of the solar heating. The result is mean climate temperatures that are actually a few degrees cooler than Earth’s today.”

The research was done as part of NASA’s Planetary Science Astrobiology program through the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) program, which seeks to accelerate the search for life on planets orbiting other stars, or exoplanets, by combining insights from the fields of astrophysics, planetary science, heliophysics, and Earth science. The findings have direct implications for future NASA missions, such as the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and James Webb Space Telescope, which will try to detect possible habitable planets and characterize their atmospheres.

Publication: M. J. Way, et al., “Was Venus the First Habitable World of our Solar System?,” Geophysical Research Letters, 2016; DOI: 10.1002/2016GL069790

Source: Michael Cabbage and Leslie McCarthy, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies

2018 timeline contents what will happent in future

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 09 Aug 2016 20:44:00 +0000

2018-2048

Uganda is an oil-producing nation

Commercially viable oil in Uganda was discovered in 2006, with an estimated 3.5 billion barrels of reserves. However, it would take over a decade for production to start, due to a series of political, social, economic and technical issues. These included a lack of transparency in the planning process, corruption among officials, intimidation and poor compensation of local residents, sluggish progress in determining the best infrastructure, and general bureaucracy.

By 2012, a total of 77 wells had been drilled and investigated, with 70 showing potential for profit. In 2013 the government finally reached an agreement with Tullow Oil of the United Kingdom, Total of France and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), to build both the oil refinery and pipeline. Uganda also partnered with the neighbouring countries of South Sudan, Kenya and Rwanda to take up ownership in the planned oil refinery. Once the remaining issues were worked out, construction would begin in 2014, with first production in 2018.*

Most of the oil was located in the Albertine Graben region, a 45 by 500 km stretch of lush green vegetation, home to about half of Africa's bird species, along with baboons, antelopes and elephants. Serious concerns were therefore raised by environmentalists, but these were dismissed by the government. With at least 30 years of production capacity, Uganda would undergo an economic boom – bringing electricity to the 90% who had lived without it, boosting its education and healthcare systems, and shifting the nation into the league of upper-middle-income countries.

This new-found wealth could not last, however. In the longer term, serious environmental problems would plague not just Uganda, but much of the African continent. Landlocked and lying directly on the equator, Uganda was exposed to extreme climate risks, including substantial changes in rainfall and humidity.*

Click to enlarge

uganda oil map
Uganda oil map. Credit: Heritage Oil

2018

A missile defence shield is deployed in Europe

Europe is now protected by a continent-wide missile defence system, developed and deployed by the US military.
This has been established in phases between 2011 and 2018.

Phase 1 saw the deployment of a land-based early warning radar – which Turkey agreed to host – as well as ships in the Mediterranean equipped with proven SM-3 interceptors.

Phase 2 saw the creation of a land-based SM-3 interceptor site in Romania – in order to expand the defended area against short- and medium-range missile threats.

Phase 3, the most significant phase, added a more advanced SM-3 interceptor (Block IIA) and a second land-based SM-3 site, which Poland agreed to host. This would counter short-, medium- and intermediate-range missile threats. The system is located at Redzikowo military base, close to the Baltic Sea and Lithuania, roughly 50 miles from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.*

An additional fourth and final phase will be completed in 2020 with missiles being upgraded.*

Initially, this defence shield resulted in a cooling of relations between the US and Russia. The latter expressed concerns over the presence of missiles so close to its border, which it viewed as a security threat. This was despite assurances from the US that the shield was for potential threats from Iran and the Middle East – and was neither designed nor capable of threatening the numbers and sophisticated ability of Russia's strategic forces.*

missile defence shield in poland and the czech republic 2018

The first private supersonic jet

While commercial airliners typically cruise at Mach 0.85 (567 mph), the Spike S-512 uses advanced engine and airframe technology to reach speeds of Mach 1.8 (1200 mph). Holding up to 18 passengers, it can fly from NYC to London in 3.5 hours instead of 7 hours; or from LA to Tokyo in 8 hours instead of 16 hours.* This private jet, costing $80 million, is aimed at the richest business executives and celebrities, but supersonic and even hypersonic travel will become more affordable in future decades. A competitor, Aerion, delivers their own supersonic jet in 2023. This is followed by larger hypersonic commercial airliners in the 2030s.

first supersonic private jet 2018 technology timeline
Credit: Spike Aerospace

The African Central Bank is established

Following many years of diplomatic talks, a unified African Central Bank has been established.* This represents a crucial step towards a more stable and developed Africa.

Though international efforts made in recent years, mostly as part of the UN's Millennium Development Goals, the continent still had numerous problems to deal with. Despite medical advances and socio-economic progress, famine and disease were on-going issues. In the north, residual tensions and instability remained, following the protests and uprisings that raged earlier in the decade. The Horn of Africa was plagued by drought and civil unrest, while piracy off the coast of Somalia had only increased as oil and other commodities rose in value.

It became clear in recent years that a lasting and meaningful prosperity could only be achieved by the entire continent working together as one. Following the 2011 overthrow of its main proponent, Muammar Gaddafi, the plan for a United States of Africa came to be regarded as a dead proposal. However, countries were working together in other ways. The East African Federation, for instance, was established in 2015.** This was a full political federation of five member states – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda – creating the second most populous nation in Africa (after Nigeria).

The growing need for a larger, more unified and far-reaching financial institution, in order to be fully integrated with the global economy, has led to further progress in developing the African Central Bank. Finally established in 2018, the benefits of this continental bank are immediate and substantial. Now acting as the banker for the African Union (consisting of 54 individual states), the Central Bank is able to regulate trade standards and currency value – supporting both public and private banking while setting interest and exchange rates.

The next step will be creating a pan-African single currency – known as the "Afro" – on schedule to take place in the early 2020s.* It is hoped that this development will be the keystone to helping each nation in the long term, especially the poorest, with value fluctuations and inequality becoming less and less rampant. The free movement of goods, persons, services, labour and capital will do much to improve the regional economy. A human rights court and monetary fund will also be set up. In addition, Africa finds itself in a uniquely advantageous position, in that it can learn from the past mistakes of Europe and the Euro. A prosperous and stable Africa now appears within sight for the first time.

However, true economic prosperity is still a far-off goal for most of the people of Africa, whose population has swelled to over 1.3 billion.* The looming threat of climate change will be the continent's biggest challenge of all.

africa african central bank 2018 timeline future currency banknotes coins banking

East Africa's largest ever infrastructure project

This year sees a major rail network completed in East Africa.** Built by a Chinese state-owned firm and part-funded by China's government, the $14bn Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is the largest infrastructure project in the region's history. The SGR connects a number of major cities – greatly boosting trade and investment while reducing the times needed to move people and goods across borders. The cost of sending a tonne of freight one kilometre is slashed from $0.20 to $0.08, with a typical journey between Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa cut from 12 hours to just four. Until now, the region had relied almost exclusively on road transport.

2018 east africa rail map

South Korean city Pyeongchang hosts Winter Olympics

The 2018 Winter Olympics take place from 9th February to 25th February 2018, in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The elected host city was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 2011. Pyeongchang won on its third consecutive bid, having lost previously to Vancouver in Canada and Sochi in Russia. It is the first Winter Olympic Games and second Olympic Games in South Korea; the 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul. Pyeongchang is also the third Asian city to host the Winter Games after Sapporo, Japan (1972) and Nagano, Japan (1998). It is the first Winter Olympic Games since 1992 to be held in a ski resort town. In June 2015, four new disciplines were approved for inclusion in the games: snowboarding big air; curling mixed doubles; speed skating mass start and Alpine skiing team.

2018 winter olympics timeline

Russia hosts the FIFA World Cup

This is the first time Russia has hosted the World Cup. Some $10 billion are spent on the tournament, which is spread over 14 venues including Moscow and St. Petersburg. As of 2010, there were no stadia in the country with 80,000+ capacities, but Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is expanded to 90,000 seats in time for the games.

InSight touches down on Mars

InSight is a space probe launched by NASA to Mars in 2018. The mission name stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport. The stationary lander is placed on the surface of Mars, equipped with a seismometer and heat flow probe that drills 5 metres (16 ft) below ground – deeper than all previous arms, scoops, drills and probes.

InSight's main objective is to conduct an advanced study into the early geological processes that shaped Mars. The Solar System's rocky inner planets share a common ancestry that began with a process called accretion. As each body increased in size, its interior heated up and evolved to become a terrestrial planet with a core, mantle and crust. Despite this common ancestry, each of the terrestrial planets was later shaped and moulded through a poorly understood process known as "differentiation".

With its sub-surface measurements and hyper-sensitive instruments, Insight greatly improves our understanding of differentiation. The mission confirms whether Mars' core is solid or liquid, and determines why the crust is not divided into tectonic plates that drift like on Earth.* Following a technical issue reported in December 2015, the probe's launch was postponed by 26 months, from March 2016 to May 2018.*

nasa insight 2018 mars future timeline

The James Webb Space Telescope is launched

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the long-awaited successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Its primary mirror has a collecting area six times larger than Hubble. The telescope is situated in an L2 orbit approximately 1.5 million km from Earth. Originally planned for 2014, it was delayed until 2018 due to budgetary constraints.*

james webb telescope 2018 timeline

Japan lunar rover mission

In 2018, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) sends an unmanned mission to the Moon. This uses an Epsilon solid-fuel rocket to carry and deploy a "Smart Lander for Investigating Moon" (SLIM). The probe is designed to perfect soft-landing technologies for manned missions in the future. While previous attempts by space agencies have landed spacecraft within several kilometres of their target site, SLIM aims to land within 100 metres (approximately 328 feet).* Face recognition software, similar to that found in digital cameras, enables it to identify craters. The mission costs ¥10 billion to ¥15 billion (between $83 and $125 million). Only five nations have achieved soft landings on the lunar surface – the former Soviet Union, the USA, China, India and Japan.

2018 japan moon rover lunar mission timeline future 2018 2020

The Japanese Hayabusa-2 probe arrives at 1999 JU3

1999 JU3 is an Apollo asteroid – a group of asteroids whose orbits take them into the main belt, before drifting back towards Earth's vicinity. In 2018, this kilometre-sized rock is investigated by Japan's space agency, JAXA. The mission involves a probe, Hayabusa-2, launched in 2014 and arriving four years later. The spacecraft is equipped with a "cannon" that fires a 7 kg (15.4 lb) explosive projectile at a velocity of 2 km/s. This impacts the asteroid's surface with such force that a new crater is formed, with a camera filming the event from above. Hayabusa-2 then lands in the crater – scooping up samples for analysis back on Earth. It is hoped that water and organic materials in these samples may help to explain the origin of life.*

hayabusa 2 probe 2018

Completion of the 100,000 Genomes Project

The 100,000 Genomes Project is a £300 million ($467m) effort to sequence the genomes of National Health Service (NHS) patients in England between 2015 and 2018.* By utilising a huge sample size, it aims to identify common genetic traits behind a number of cancers and rare diseases, paving the way for new diagnostic tools, drugs and other treatments.

When the Human Genome Project was initiated in 1990, it cost $3 billion and required 13 years to complete. However, the time and expense of mapping a whole human genome began to fall exponentially, at a rate even faster than Moore's Law witnessed in computer chips.* By the early 2010s it was possible to sequence a person's DNA for less than $10,000 in a few days, and by 2014, machines capable of $1,000 genomes had appeared.* A new era of personalised genomics was beginning to emerge.*

The 100,000 Genomes Project takes advantage of these revolutionary advances to create a large-scale database, combining genetic information with personal health records. This helps researchers to better understand disease and its complex relationship with genes. Doctors can predict how well a person will respond to a particular treatment, or find one that works best for their specific case. It allows health organisations to more accurately track the spread of infectious disease, precisely pinpointing the source and nature of an outbreak. All data in the 100,000 Genomes Project is anonymous.*

England is the first country to undertake such a task,* but even larger projects follow in subsequent years, as genome sequencing continues to improve in both cost and speed. By 2020, tens of millions of human genomes have been sequenced. By 2040, these systems will be ubiquitous in countries around the world.* The impact of personalised medicine is on a scale similar to penicillin and the smallpox vaccine.*

100000 genomes project 2015 2018

Universal flu vaccine

Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is a serious disease that causes between 250,000 and 500,000 worldwide annual deaths, rising to millions in pandemic years. It can sometimes lead to pneumonia, either direct viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, even in persons who are usually very healthy. Because of the way it can modify proteins on its outer surface, influenza is constantly evolving. This means that vaccines quickly become useless and new versions are required each year.

However, researchers found that material on the inside was common to many strains of the virus. By targeting this core region – that never changes, even in new strains – it was hoped that a universal flu vaccine could be developed that would be effective against all current and future outbreaks.

A type of white blood cell known as CD8 – part of the body's immune system – was found to recognise proteins in the core. Using blood samples from human volunteers, taken during the 2009 pandemic, it was discovered that patients with higher levels of CD8 T-cells had milder symptoms and less chance of developing flu. By identifying the exact subtype of the immune system giving protection and which components of the virus it was attacking, researchers were able to develop a "blueprint" for a vaccine that could stimulate production of these T-cells.* Following further years of research, the vaccine is made publicly available by 2018.*

universal flu vaccine 2018

Polio has been eradicated

Polio is a disease caused by a virus that enters through the mouth. Spread by poor sanitation and exposure to infected human stools, it can damage the nervous system, leading to paralysis and eventual death. During the first half of the 20th century, there was a dramatic rise in cases. Epidemics became regular events during summer months, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It was especially prevalent among young children.

This provided impetus for a "Great Race" towards the development of a vaccine. Developed in the mid-1950s, polio vaccines began to reduce the global number of cases per year. The last naturally occurring cases in the United States were reported in 1979 and the Western Hemisphere was declared free of the disease by 1994.

However, it continued to affect countries in Africa, Asia and elsewhere.* Vaccination efforts were stepped up – led by Rotary International, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. New commitments were made by governments and philanthropists including Bill Gates,* enabling over a billion children to be vaccinated. By 2018, polio has been eradicated from the world. New knowledge about the viruses, new technologies and new tactics to reach the most vulnerable communities have consigned it to history.* This is only the second time that a human disease has been completely wiped out; the previous instance was smallpox in 1979.*

polio eradication 2018

A drug to prevent obesity

A drug that lets people eat whatever they want without gaining weight is being developed.* This works by tricking the body into reacting as though it has already consumed a meal. Though initially expensive, there is enormous demand for this product, leading to a rapid fall in obesity levels throughout much of the world – especially in countries like the US, which until now had been experiencing a crisis in this regard. Average life expectancy is increased as a result, since there are less people dying of heart-related illnesses.

anti-obesity drugs 2018

Crossrail opens in London

In development since 1974, Crossrail is finally opened this year. One of Europe's largest ever transport projects, this boosts London's subway capacity by over 10%, bringing huge regenerative benefits.

The line is 120 km in length (including 42 km of tunnels) and runs from Berkshire in the west, to Essex in the east, linking together all the main economic hubs in the capital – Heathrow Airport, the West End, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Ten-coach trains, 200 metres long, run at frequencies of 24 trains per hour in each direction during peak periods.

The original planned schedule was for the first trains to run in 2017. A Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010 – saving over £1bn of the £16bn projected costs – meant that the first trains to run on the central section would be delayed until 2018.*

The Transbay Transit Center is completed in San Francisco

The population of California has continued to grow and grow. This has created some of the worst urban traffic problems in America. One of the places most badly affected has been the San Francisco Bay Area.

The main transport hub in downtown San Francisco had since 1939 been the original Transbay Terminal, located in the South of Market Neighborhood near the Financial District. In 2010, however, to address increasing stresses on the transportation system, this old station was demolished to make way for a new, high-tech development – something which had been in planning since the 1960s.

Demolition began in 2010, with a temporary station built to handle traffic over the seven year construction period. The first phase of the $4bn project would be completed in 2017. This would include a five storey, 1,400 foot long, million square foot transit centre, complete with numerous bus terminals, each with ramps connecting the stations to a new off-site bus storage facility and the nearby Oakland Bay Bridge. A 5.4 acre park would be included on top of the transit centre. The highly efficient re-design of the bus ramp system opened up parcels of land for a series of buildings which – together with the transit terminal – would make up San Francisco's grand urban renewal project. This part of the project would cover 40 acres and consist of townhouses, low to mid-rise buildings and skyscrapers, along with parks and recreation, overall providing 2,600 new homes, three million square feet of office space and over 100,000 square feet of retail space. The centrepiece of this development is the Transit Tower. Soaring to over 1,000 feet, it is among the tallest towers on the American West Coast, second only to the Wilshire Grand Center in Los Angeles.

The second and final phase – completed in 2018* – is the Downtown Rail Extension. This 1.3 mile long, primarily underground rail line connects the California commuter rail line, Caltrain, to downtown San Francisco, linking the city to the Peninsula, San Jose and Silicon Valley. This major extension opens the doors for new jobs and very rapid commutes in and out of the city. It is also made to accommodate the future California High Speed Rail Line. Overall, the project connects Caltrain, Greyhound, Golden Gate Transit, Muni, SamTrams, AC Transit, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), WestCAT and Amtrak.

The development is designed with the environment in mind, too. Its open design allows for natural light, low-energy ventilation and passive cooling. LED lights are used extensively, while many buildings including the Transit Tower are outfitted with wind turbines. Another key feature is that the entire development is built to withstand earthquakes; a likely possibility in the Bay Area.

Once completed, the Transbay Transit Center helps to accommodate the rapidly growing population of California – predicted to rise from 37 million in 2010, to 51 million by 2030.*

Many complex surgeries are performed by robots

Basic robotic surgeons have been around since the 1990s. In the first decade of the 21st century, they remained uncommon and relatively simple, though high-end companies began to develop their own more advanced models.*

Surgeries were divided between supervisory-controlled systems, telesurgical systems and shared-control systems. Supervisory-controlled systems were the most automated – requiring a human only to input directional data, and to supervise the operation to take control if anything went wrong. Shared-control systems were the least automated, in which human surgeons were physically present and did most of the work, but were aided by robots.

Though yet to become widespread, many large hospitals and universities had their own automated systems in place by 2010. Continued tests and trials of these machines greatly improved their accuracy and reliability. The growing number of successful surgeries made patients more willing to trust in robotic procedures.

By the mid-2010s, many cardiothoracic, gastrointestinal and orthopaedic surgeries could be handled almost entirely by remote-controlled robots. By 2018, the majority of large hospitals in the developed world use a robotic surgeon on at least a semi-regular basis. South Korea in particular is leading the way in this field, with almost every hospital in the nation using them routinely.* The latest models feature improved dexterity and multitasking, high quality incision tools and higher levels of automation. New ultra-small cameras are also in use, giving controllers an extreme close-up view of the operation.*

Previously, it could take a dozen surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses to perform surgeries, with even more for certain complex procedures. Now, robots can remove some or all of this burden, performing the jobs of several different specialists at once and working around the clock without tiring.* Surgeries in 2018 often consist of just one or two human supervisors overseeing a robot's work. In the long run, this helps to reduce health costs. Additionally, robots offer much higher precision than humans, so patients are able to leave the operating table with less collateral trauma.

Telesurgery is now being looked into as a way for doctors to conduct surgeries over long distances. This could allow a specialist surgeon in England to operate on a patient in Australia for example, using only remote-controlled robots. However, issues with latency will delay this practice from entering the mainstream for a while yet.

Despite being another profession threatened by automation, hospital surgery remains a primarily human undertaking for now. Robotic operations are still in their infancy, requiring the presence and supervision of doctors and other personnel. It will be a long time before human medics are made entirely redundant by this technology.

The NHS begins high-energy proton therapy in England

High-energy proton beam therapy is a revolutionary form of cancer treatment offering greater precision with fewer side effects. The concept was first described and theorised in 1946, but it took more than 40 years before the first hospital-based proton therapies were brought online and even then, these were limited to low-energy cyclotrons for only a small number of patients. However, the early 21st century saw major progress in the research, development and deployment of high-energy proton beam therapy. By 2015, the USA was home to nearly 20 treatment centres, with many more in countries around the world.

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK had been sending patients abroad, mostly to the USA, at an average cost of £100,000 per case. The vast majority of these were children. As the number of these operations was increasing rapidly – and with only a single, low-energy proton beam facility available in the country – the British government announced £250 million in funding for two advanced radiotherapy centres, in London and Manchester. These would offer high-energy proton beam therapy to NHS patients in England, starting in 2018.

Public opinion of this treatment received a major boost in 2016, after the publication of a study in The Lancet, confirming that it was indeed safer than conventional X-ray radiotherapy.* Better precision allowed the beams to deposit most of their energy in the final stage of their journey, reducing the risk of damage to tissue surrounding the tumour – thus allowing higher treatment doses with fewer side effects.*

Enterprise-grade SSDs reach 128TB of capacity

Solid state drives (SSDs) have recently begun to overtake spinning drives in terms of storage capacity.* The largest of the enterprise-grade models are now reaching 128TB of capacity, with conventional HDDs lagging further behind. The gap between these storage methods will continue to accelerate as flash memory and similar technologies reach unprecedented densities in the 2020s.* The demand for consumer versions is being driven by rapid growth in 4K video adoption, enormous video game file sizes and other data-hungry applications.

solid state drives future timeline

Consumer devices with 100 Gbit/s transfer speeds

A new form of data transfer has recently become available for the consumer market. This is known as "Thunderbolt" and replaces the Universal Serial Bus (USB) leads which have been the standard for many years. The USB 3.0 specification allowed transfer speeds of 4.8 Gbit/s. An early version of Thunderbolt (codenamed "Light Peak") achieved 10 Gbit/s. This latest version, however, can achieve 100 Gbit/s – enough to transfer an entire Blu-ray movie in just three seconds.* Optical technology used in Thunderbolt also allows smaller connectors with longer, thinner and more flexible cables. Additionally, it can run multiple protocols simultaneously over a single cable, enabling the technology to connect devices such as peripherals, workstations, displays, disk drives, docking stations and more.

light peak intel 2018 technology
Credit: Intel

Portable, long-range 3D scanning

Recent advances in time-of-flight (ToF) systems, based on extra long wavelengths, have enabled 3D scans to be obtained from up to a kilometre away using handheld devices. This range will soon be extended to 10 kilometres, with millimetre accuracy. Applications include the scanning of static, man-made targets such as vehicles, identification of objects hidden behind foliage, remote examination of the health and volume of vegetation and the movement of rock faces to assess hazards.* This is adding to privacy concerns over the explosion of security and surveillance emerging at this time.

2018 technology scanning 3d
Credit: Optics Express

Scientists drill into Earth's mantle

In 2018, the first successful attempt is made to retrieve samples from Earth's mantle, the part of the planet that lies between the crust and the outer core. What was once considered science fiction has now become possible thanks to advances in drilling technology.*

The operation takes place in the Pacific, where the crust is much thinner, but still requires burrowing through some five miles (eight kilometres) of solid rock. Temperatures range from 500-900°C (932-1,652°F) at the upper boundary with the crust, while pressures exceed 4 million pounds per square foot (21 million kilograms per sq m). Seawater is pumped down into the hole at sufficient pressure that samples can be forced back up to the surface.

Until now, little has been known about the mantle, since the only samples to arrive at the surface have come from volcanoes or ancient mountain belts. Now for the first time, scientists can analyse "pure" extracts directly from the mantle, untainted by time or geological processes. This data reveals much about Earth's origins and early history. In addition, it provides insight into how current mantle processes operate: highly important in understanding the plate tectonics which drive earthquakes, tsunamis and eruptions.

Microbial life is also discovered at previously unexplored depths within the lower crust. These new forms of extremophile bacteria are found to survive at extraordinarily high temperatures – increasing the probability of alien life elsewhere in the universe.

drilling into the mantle core earth future exploration

The first Hyperloop track is open to the public

Hyperloop is a new form of transportation, in which pressurised capsules are shot through reduced-pressure tubes at extremely high speeds that are much faster than conventional train lines. The capsules ride on air cushions driven by linear induction motors and air compressors, able to reach upwards of 750mph (1,200km/h). Originally put forward by entrepreneur Elon Musk, the concept was explicitly open-sourced, with others encouraged to take the ideas and to further develop them. To that end, several companies were formed, along with teams of students working to advance the technology.

Designs for test tracks and capsules resulted in a full-scale prototype 5-mile (8 km) track. This was built by Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) around Quay Valley, a new 75,000-resident community situated halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.* In addition to featuring the new Hyperloop system, this town would also be solar powered. Following two years of construction work and testing, the first route is opened to the public during 2018.** While initially something of a novelty, Hyperloop sees more widespread adoption in the decades ahead, as the full economic and technological benefits are realised. For example, travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco becomes possible in less than 30 minutes. Towards the end of the century, vactrains reaching thousands of miles per hour are commonplace throughout much of the world, forming a global network.*