SilverNuts

THIS VIDEO CAPTURES THE MAGIC OF NATURE IN THIS “BIOLUMINESCENT FOREST”

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 21:35:00 +0000

Artists Friedrich van Schoor and Tarek Mawad combine their skills to create a stunning audiovisual light show called ”bioluminescent forest”. Their fascination with nature and all of it’s amazing sights and sounds can be seen in this epic video which lasts less than 4 minutes.

The video is nothing short of a masterpiece and for me the combination of nature with their stunning animation work is what really sets it off. Check out the video below:

More information on the project can be found here: www.bioluminescent-forest.com Friedrich van Schoor: www.vanscore.com
Tarek Mawad: www.tarekmawad.com

Source: http://thespiritscience.net/2016/04/15/this-video-captures-the-magic-of-nature-in-this-bioluminescent-forest/

Lytro’s 755 megapixel camera... damn...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 11:51:00 +0000

Lytro is taking its rich, volumetric 3D camera capture technology into the world of TV and film.

The company’s light field solution is a truly beautiful technology that may eventually be in every camera we snap a shot or video with. The tech essentially uses data on all of the available light in a photo to separate objects by depth and store them in a three-dimensional grid. In the future this technology will allow the simple creation of VR-ready navigable 3D spaces, but right now it’s enabling filmmakers the ability to achieve a level of detail and flexibility in gathering shots and making post-production edits that wasn’t previously possible.

Today, the company introduced Lytro Cinema, which is the company’s effort to woo those in the television and film industries with cool camera technology that makes their jobs easier.

The Lytro Cinema camera gathers a truly staggering amount of information on the world around it. The 755 RAW megapixel 40K resolution, 300 FPS camera takes in as much as 400 gigabytes per second of data.

What that chunk of visual knowledge gives filmmakers is the freedom to make a number of creative decisions in post-production that would otherwise be impossible after they had pressed “record.”

Things like changing the depth of field, focus position, shutter speed or dynamic range can now take place after the fact thanks to the truly dynamic data being captured. Lytro believes that this tech is going to make the merger of CGI images and real-world footage even more seamless, and I believe it too.

A hefty portion of films today rely heavily on green screen technology to turn studio backlot environments into magical worlds. Lytro Cinema is implementing light field technology to create something called a “depth screen,” which allows filmmakers to capture green screen shots without actually having to place actors in green screen environments.

Because light field technology senses depth so accurately, the Lytro Cinema camera can just capture the world out to a certain distance and is essentially able to leave the rest of the shot transparent, allowing for post-production wizardry to seamlessly put an actor on the surface of the moon when they’re actually standing in a room surrounded by camera equipment.

Editing this kind of data is certainly a unique and formidable task, but Lytro has decided to make things as simple as possible for filmmakers who buy-in to the suite as their capture solution not only includes access to the camera, but a physical/cloud storage data stack and all of the software/plug-ins needed to make edits on the rich visual data.

This camera is essentially military-grade technology, so Lytro is initially working on getting this camera in filmmakers’ hands when they need it rather than selling the entire solution to studios. Lytro says rental packages start at $125k for utilizing the Cinema hardware/software suite.

If the name Lytro sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you’ve heard about their consumer products which included a cute little colorful boxy camera and a more serious light field consumer camera.

While the consumer products may have gotten the company’s name in front of more people, Lytro has pivoted in the past year to working more with production companies to implement light field technology in their projects.

Lytro Cinema is the most “mainstream” effort yet from the company to introduce their light field technology to filmmakers. They’ve already presented their tech to filmmakers looking to make the most of stereoscopic 360-degree virtual reality filmmaking with their Immerge system, but with Cinema, Lytro is specifically seeking out more traditional television and film producers to taste the benefits of light field technology in as rich a way as possible.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2016/04/11/lytro-cinema-is-giving-filmmakers-400-gigabytes-per-second-of-creative-freedom/?sr_share=facebook

DIY: Copper Pipe Icosahedron Light Fixture

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 21:18:00 +0000

DIY Copper Pipe Icosahedron Light Fixture

Project Cost:

$15 10″ Ikea Foto pendant light (from the infamous Ikea trip)
$20: two pieces of 10’ 1/2” copper pipe
$10: two packages of 25’ copper wire

Inspiration light fixture: $2111: The Block 2 light, designed by Henry Pilcher.

I’m going to take you on a step by step… journey… of how I built this icosahedron light fixture. Tutorial just doesn’t seem to cover the epic scale of this endeavor. Tutorial feels a little too middle school, while I’m going for a lot more middle earth with this whole “journey” metaphor. Come be the Samwise Gamgee to my Frodo on this adventure? (And yes, I’ve been rewatching the Lord of the Rings trilogy lately. Extended editions. Your point?)

We begin by facing our deadliest foe yet…

Step 1. Math.

Remember when I said “I sat down and did some freaking geometry”? Like I’m all bad/tough yet good at math? Truthfully, I had a little help with the geometry. To say it is not my strong suite would be an understatement. I’m just impressed that I managed to figure out that my inspiration light fixture was 20-sided, composed of equilateral triangles, and called an “icosahedron.” After that, I needed to borrow Bryan’s brain.

I began by tracing the base of my light fixture. I knew that I needed to fit the circle inside a pentagon (seethis diagram to help you visualize how an icosahedron fits together), so we divided our circle into 5 sections with a protractor (72 degrees/section). Bryan helped me figure out that 7.5” sides for the pentagon (and hence, for the entire icosahedron) was a close enough number while giving me an easy length to cut. In retrospect, once assembled, the entire icosahedron came out a little large for the Ikea pendant light, so I probably could have shaved the sides down to 7.25” or so.

This seems so simple now, but I assure you, trying to wrap my mind around the circle-within-a-pentagon and pentagon-to-icosahedron was quite the headache. Grr. Maths!

Step 2. Spray paint.

The 10” Foto lights from Ikea come in silver, green, red and beige, but I wanted/needed black, so I taped around the wire and did a few coats of glossy black spray paint*.

*denotes affiliate link: shop from your sofa and contribute a few pennies to The Gathered Home – win-win!

Step 3. Cut the pipe.

An icosahedron has 30 equilateral edges, so I needed to cut my copper pipe into thirty 7.5” pieces. A 10’ pipe will give you sixteen 7.5” pieces (plus 1/2” to 1” extra, I discovered, as they aren’t exactly 10 feet), which is why I needed to purchase two 10’ pieces. If a 10’ pipe is too long for you to safely transport home, and it very nearly was for me even in the bed of my truck, you could always cut the pipes in half at the 5’ mark before loading them into your vehicle, using one of these*:

Although cutting all thirty pieces was a little tedious, this small copper pipe cutter worked just fine. First, I made dots at the 7.5” mark all around the diameter of the pipe with a sharpie.

Then I lined the blade in the pipe cutter up with the sharpie marks, tightened it, and laid it on its back on a flat surface.

I found it easiest to rotate the pipe against the cutter, rather than vice versa. Otherwise, my hand began to seriously cramp. After you turn the pipe to score it, you tighten the wheel on the top of the cutter, the blade scores a little deeper into the pipe, and a few turns later, the two pieces separate – easy peasy! I also put on a pair of nitrile work gloves* right after this, because my hands began slipping & burning on the pipe after a little while. So, pro-tip: wear gloves.

All in all, the cutting process took a little over an hour with the majority of the time spent measuring and marking my cuts.

Step 4. Clean the pipe.

Once all 30 pieces were cut, I used some very fine 0000 grade steel wool* to remove the red ink markings from the copper pipe. It worked like a charm – fresh, shiny, pure copper pieces ready for assembly. 15 minutes.

Step 5. Assembly.

This is the most detailed step, and the one for which I have the least amount of advice and helpful photos. I began with three copper pieces and as long a piece of copper wire as I could manage.

After I made one complete equilateral triangle, I kept adding triangles using one of the existing pieces as a side. (You might find this YouTube video helpful). While I wish I could be more informative, I’ll repeat that I do not have a geometrically inclined mind, so I had a hard time visualizing what exactly I was doing. I just kept in mind that each “point” of the icosahedron had five edges running into it, and the shape really did build itself. It was amazing watching it become 3D beneath my fingers. Gotta love that math!

When I ran short on wire, I twisted it off at an edge of one of the pipes and attached a new piece, tucking the edges inside the pipe. 50’ of copper wire was just enough for me to complete the icosahedron (with literally only inches remaining), but that is partly because I had a false start and cut my wire too short at first, leading to some loss.

Before closing up the icosahedron entirely, I made sure to fit my light fixture inside. I didn’t do this at first, but you will want to run the wire for the light fixture through the center of one of the points of the icosahedron, and then close it up around it. I forgot to do this at first, so I had to open up one of the points after the fact and re-thread my wire.

Confused yet?

Hopefully these pictures will help make sense of everything.

This first shot is before I realized I need to run the cord through a point of the icosahedron, which is why it is looped around. If you loop it, the light fixture will not hang centered within the icosahedron and it will drive you/me crazy.

Step 6. Hang it.

I mounted a plant hanging bracket on the wall up by the ceiling (with heavy duty toggle bolts – this light fixture isn’t a featherweight). My initial plan was to hang the light fixture with its own cord by looping it over the bracket, however I ended up using a piece of black rope (a shoelace, in fact) to remove the strain from the cord. This allowed me to position the lamp within the icosahedron exactly where I wanted it – I could separately control the height of the icosahedron and the height of the lamp. (In the photo below, see how it hangs down a little ways into the icosahedron?)

The purpose/destination of this light fixture? Task lighting over my side of our DIY Ikea hack double desk!

As you can see, I ran the cord down the corner of the wall to the outlet. (FYI, the Foto light has a plug on the other end of its decently lengthy cord). It may not make a whole lot of sense just yet in the context of the room, but we have these amazing reclaimed wood shelves that are going up across the other 2/3 of the desk, so this light is centered between the corner and where the shelves will start. With the slanted ceiling, this is the best placement for everything.

It’s perfectly easy to reach through the copper pieces to screw/unscrew a light bulb. I can’t decide if I love this light more on or off…

And that is the incredibly long-winded tale of how I faced my fears, fought my polyhedron-shaped demons, and built one kickass copper light fixture. The End.

Source: http://www.thegatheredhome.com/diy-copper-pipe-icosahedron-light/

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta, Norway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 20:58:00 +0000

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel in Alta, Norway

Ice hotels are temporary hotels present only during the winter period. One of those ice hotels is Sorrisniva Iglo Hotel in Alta, Norway. This hotel is being rebuilt regularly since 2000. It is 2000 square meters including 2 suites and it is decoated with numbers of ice sculptures and ice furnishing, and amazing lighting system to enhance the different ice crystals. Beside the bedrooms, Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel contains an ice chapel, ice gallery and ice bar in which the drinks are served in ice glasses.

Every year the theme in Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel is different. For example: in 2004 it was Viking theme, 2005 Norwegian fairytales and 2006 wild animals of the region.

This is the real place where you can experience the northern lights on the highest level. Another attraction is snowmobile safari or dog-sledding with Northern Light Husky, a dog sledding farm managed by professionals and suitable for everyone.

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel Exterior 2013

Image by Kjell Jøran Hansen via Flickr

Entering Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, you will enter a different world, a one that you have never been to. The chills you will feel will not e only because of the cold but of excitement that you are experiencing something different.

Entrance

Image by <!– –>(Mark Birchall) via Flickr

Entrance 2013

Image by Kjell Jøran Hansen via Flickr

Hallway with rooms Ice Hotel Sorrisniva

Image by Kimberly Jansen via Flickr

Icesculpture, 2013. Theme: Norwegian Fairytales

Every year the theme is different. So as we said previous in 2013 the theme was also Norwegian fairytales.

Image by Kjell Jøran Hansen via Flickr

Canyon Bar at the Ice Hotel Sorrisniva

The Canyon Bar in this ice hotel is serving all your drinks in ice glasses so the pleasure is even greater. Don’t you ever think you can order some hot tea in here. They wont serve you.

Image by Kimberly Jansen via Flickr

Interior

Image by Svein M. via Flickr

Suite Ice Hotel Sorrisniva

In this Ice Hotel the suites are really comfortable and intimate. The bed is covered with reindeer hide and the guests sleep in sleeping bags to heat the cold nights.

Image by Kimberly Jansen via Flickr

Chapel at the Ice Hotel Sorrisniva

Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel also has a chapel where the guests can get married. Together with the ice bar it is perfect for ice weddings.

Image by Kimberly Jansen via Flickr

source: http://www.youramazingplaces.com/sorrisniva-igloo-hotel-alta-norway/

Depression, 6 Ways To Be Your Own Therapist!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 21:15:00 +0000

1. Exercise
Practicing yoga, freehand, aerobics, etc. is a good way to relax your mind and have a refreshing start to your day. Even if you think you are too occupied with work, family, etc. find at leas 10 minutes each morning and find your inner peace.

2. Maintain A Journal/Diary
Yes, let it all out. Sit in your sadness bubble and let it out into space by pouring your heart out into the diary. Do you have unanswered questions or secret desires? Write them in the diary and wait for the answers to come to you or see what your heart tells you to do. You can never go wrong with a diary.

3. Connect With Nature
Nature has a very powerful way of calming you down like no other. It can help you straighten out your life in a millisecond. It can help you see right from wrong, give you a break from depression, inspire you like no other. So, get up from that couch and start by taking a walk in the park.

4.Let It Go
To put it more easily, just relax. When you are in a chilled out mood, everything will seem a little less complicated. Life issues will seem like they don’t matter. You will find it easier to not take things personally and let things go. Thus, it will be easier for you to come out of that bubble. Forgive and forget is a great motto to live by.

5. Inspire Yourself
Don’t know how? Indulge yourself in everything, and literally everything that makes you happy. Find your passion and pursue it. Make sure what you do make you smile and laugh. Cook yourself your favorite food, cuddle with your pet, watch your favorite movie with some popcorn, etc. Make sure whatever it is, it brings you the joy that you need to lighten up your mood.
6. Move On

Yes, last but not the least finish your cleansing ritual by moving on. Let bygones be bygones. Open up your heart and mind to new prospects and possibilities of life. Make new friends, take a new path, and explore the world. Start coming out of your comfort zone. Let anything that ever happened to you be a past that you learn from and not something that you hold in your heart and stop yourself from moving in your future. Let it make you better and stronger than ever. Don’t let that make you be afraid of whatever comes next. Let it make you bolder and face it head on.

Yes, it’s not really that hard to be your own therapist is it? These 6 steps are all about inspiring you. Over time, you self-confidence will grow to a level that you won’t know any bounds and you will feel unstoppable. Never once will it make you feel unsafe, uncoordinated or uncomfortable. So what are you waiting for? Start a trial run and see for yourself how real all these are.

Source: http://curiousmob.com/depressed-6-easy-ways-to-be-your-own-damn-therapist/

Flyboard Air: Yes, it's Real and i know you want it!

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 21:29:00 +0000

A new concept of " hoverboard " developed by Franky Zapata , from Zapata Racing team (who gained fame for being a pioneer in the use of personal watercraft as flying vehicles ). This is the Flyboard Air namesake relative of 'jet ski' , although in this case its able to fly without propulsion jet of water and can see it here. According to the creator, Air Flyboard , kind of independent power unit, comes to 3 km altitude and a maximum speed of 150 km / h , a~with an autonomy of 10 minutes, ie , very similar results to those obtained by backpack driving JB -9 Jetpack Aviation. However , in the first video released , the maximum speed does not exceed 55 km / hour, it will not go beyond an elevation of 50 meters and the travel time is only approaching four minutes.

The Most Unusual Hotels on Earth!

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 22:50:00 +0000

Have you have thought of sleeping on a tree house to remember the Tom Sawyer adventures? Or do you prefer the world of fantasy and wizards?

You can sleep at the top of a tree, in a Harry Poter inspired room, or perhaps a Boeing?! It's your choice!

These are the oddest hotels you can find:

Kakslauttanen Igloo West Village

Have you ever thought about being eskimo for one night ? In Finn Lapland, in the area of Saariselkä Fell, there is a property that promises to satisfy your curiosity . The Kakslauttanen Igloo West Village offers accommodation in glass igloo or chalet . They have the largest sauna in the world. Whether iglos or cottages guarantee comfort and warmth to guests. Like any more eccentric space , it is not to any pocket and is inserted in the luxury market.

Park Hotel Ottensheim Austria

We have seen salt hotels, under water and even ice . All thinking about the luxury market, marginalizing simple travelers lovers of good experiences and adventures. The Park Hotel is the exception. Although original and unique , comfortable and simple. Rooms at this hotel are German built in industrial pipe reinforced concrete and come with bed and electricity. The decor is simple and colorful. It is a good alternative for those who like to travel backpacking . As for the value of the room is as you wish , pay as you like.

Treehotel, Sweden

In northern Sweden , in the village of Harads , you can perform that little childhood fantasy of sleeping in a tree house . But it would be up to almost common as there are many tree houses around the world. The Treehotel has unique units designed by different Scandinavian architects. In Treehotel you can sleep in a giant bird's nest , a flying saucer or a mirrored cube. Worried about comfort ? No need. In addition to being eco-friendly, the Treehotel is a place of luxury and as such seeks to give guests the utmost comfort .

Salt Palace, Bolivia

Wood hotels on top of a tree , ice hotels, what about one made entirely with salt?! Truth? Yes . It is in Uyuni , Bolivia, and was built in 1998. Even the restaurant tables and chairs are salt . As you would expect , there are many dishes based on the main raw material of Uyuni . From the hotel you can see the local salt marshes which are the main tourist attraction. These salt pans are the largest surface and the largest salt mirror.

Poseidon Undersea Resort

Located in Fiji is considered one of the most amazing hotels in the world . It consists of apartments and 24 luxury capsules that are 15 meters deep. Guests can dazzle a unique view of the Fiji sea fauna and flora. It is certainly something out of the ordinary from the moment we went down to the sea rather than ascend to heaven. A week at the Poseidon can reach $ 15,000 per person and includes transportation from Nadi or Suva and food, as well as other activities such as submarine rides.

Hotel Giraffe Manor

Is there something more unusual than taking breakfast in the room with a giraffe ? At least it seems those moments that only happen to someone once in a lifetime , but can occur as your financial and time availability , several times at the Hotel Giraffe Manor, located in Kenya . Giraffe Manor is 20 kilometers from Nairobi , the Kenyan capital , in full nature reserve of giraffes. The Giraffe Manor was built in 1930 and offers luxurious rooms decorated strictly . Outside , there are giraffes walking at ease. Where they can peek through the window to see what is happening inside the home . The hotel has ten double rooms and is set in a small forest which is also 180 species of birds and other animals characteristic of African wildlife, such as antelopes and warthogs.

Cappadocia Cave Suites, Turkey

It is in the town of Goreme, in the region of Cappadocia, Turkey, which will have the opportunity to sleep in a kind of cave. Cappadocia Cave Suites offers single rooms with the ambiance of the Hittite , Roman and Byzantine periods . Enjoy the historical landscape that make this region a natural wonder of the world .

Hotel Costa Verde, Costa Rica

For those who like to fly and looking for new flights during the holidays. The Costa Verde Hotel Costa lets spend a night or more in an aircraft , but with all the amenities needed for a memorable evening. The 727 Fuselage Home Suite is born from the carcass of a Boeing 1965 , recovered from a junkyard in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica.

Wanderlust Hotel, Singapura

Each floor a theme: In- Your- Face, Industrial Glam , Eccentricity and Creature Comforts . Wanderlust , located in Singapore, is the real playground for adults seduced by the wild art and the fantastic rooms , full of character.

Hotel Georgian House

Many were Harry Potter fans because of the fantastic environments and magical world described in the books . Now you can experience some of that magic in the themed rooms of the hotel Georgian House. Here you will find rooms inspired in the rooms of Hogwarts magic school.

HTC Vive - Is it real?

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 21:33:00 +0000

Every time I slip on the HTC Vive, I think about the menacing, scarred presence of Tom Berenger in Platoon drawling, “You smoke this shit so’s to escape reality? I am reality.” The first thing I see, in SteamVR’s virtual nowhere, are the words “THIS IS REAL” hanging in the distance. As I play games, there are telltale signs that the worlds inside the Vive headset are not real. The density of the pixels bringing the images to life, the heavy plastic mounted to my head. The controllers in my hands. The occasional software glitch or loss of tracking. Even beyond that literal bit of text, though, the Vive boldly projects confidence that this is what VR should be like. That it will feel real, and that the future has finally arrived.

Vive deserves that confidence, because it’s correct. Right now, the HTC Vive is the best way to experience virtual reality. This is the VR you’ve been waiting for. The Vive is occasionally hindered by the growing pains of emergent hardware, but those issues don’t stop it from enabling new ways of playing and being immersed in games. After a week using the Vive, I’m more excited than ever about the future of VR on the PC. But let’s start with the present.

Preparing to Vive

The Vive differentiates itself from the Oculus and other VR systems presently available with two features: room-scale games and a pair of motion tracked controllers. The Vive hardware itself works just fine sitting down and using a gamepad, but its two laser-emitting Lighthouse base stations let you walk around in a space of approximately 4x3 meters (the minimum for room scale is 2x1.5 meters, and 4x3 won’t push the outer limits), if you have that much room for your VR setup. All this hardware leads to a far more complex setup process than the Oculus Rift. Both controllers come with their own micro USB charging cables and plugs, the two Lighthouse stations have their own power sources, the headset comes with a spare foam face rest, and there’s a cable breakout box to stop you from yanking over your PC if you accidentally step on the Vive’s cable.

After a week using the Vive, I’m more excited than ever about the future of VR.

Despite this giant pile of hardware, the Vive setup process is surprisingly easy. I didn’t encounter any issues running the setup software, which had me placing the controllers and headset on the ground to set its height, then drawing the boundary of my VR playspace using one of the controllers. The Lighthouse stations also come with ball bearing brackets for mounting. These worked well for our fairly open office space; we mounted one sensor to a beam and another to a reinforced cardboard box on a shelf. Setting up the Vive will be harder or easier for you depending on your available space (e.g., if you have some tall bookshelves, this should be a breeze, but you might need extension cables).

Plugging in the headset involves more cables—separate HDMI and USB cables from the breakout box to the PC, and cables from the headset to the breakout box—but it’s a fairly simple process, too. Properly angling the Lighthouse stations to see each other and cover your playspace is the biggest challenge (behind having enough room for the setup to begin with). And if you don’t have the space for this kind of setup at all, don’t worry—there’s an option in HTC’s software to configure the Vive for sitting and standing, but not room scale.

Unlike Oculus Home, a dashboard built from the ground up for VR, Valve has repurposed its Big Picture Mode interface for SteamVR. If you’re familiar with Steam (and what PC gamer isn’t, these days?) this makes it fairly easy to navigate your library and the store. I like being able to point at games with the Vive controller to select them and use the trackpad to scroll through my library, but I find using the trigger as a selector to be pretty finicky—I often have to click on an icon twice to properly select it, and some menu items are a bit small to easily point to.

While SteamVR can be fiddly, it also feels robust as an extension of a well established platform. It lets you bring up your desktop on a giant 'screen' in VR or boot up HTC’s own VR software, which is basically an empty environment at this point that you can use to...launch SteamVR (because Valve’s software isn’t exclusive to the Vive, it’s understandable the two would be separate). Yeah, it’s a bit messy, but it’s also very PC: the power to access what I need to on the desktop without taking off the headset is welcome. You never know when you’ll need to load up the web browser, kill a game process or mute a music player.

Into the Vive

SteamVR’s big innovation is the Chaperone system, which helps you avoid straying outside the boundaries of the playspace you established during the Vive setup process. It’s hard to overstate how important and effective the Chaperone system is. It is, absolutely, the reason room-scale VR works on the Vive. As you approach the boundaries you set, a light blue wireframe grid fades into view, showing where you need to stop before smacking into a wall or lamp or inflatable Godzilla (hey, it’s your house—I ain’t judgin’). I’ve only punched one thing while testing the Vive, and that’s because I was so absorbed that I reached beyond the boundaries to try to pick up an in-game object.

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Immersing myself in room-scale VR feels like it would be risky without the Chaperone system. The best games are totally engrossing, and sometimes I come out of the headset with no clue where I’m standing or which direction I’m facing. Many of the games available for the Vive right now are just demos or short experiences, but I’ve been taken aback by how many of these fully immerse my mind, wiping away my consciousness of the world outside the headset. There’s a reason Oculus started demoing VR standing up with the Crescent Bay prototype in 2014—the extra physicality, even without motion-tracked controls, transforms the experience.

The Vive’s cable is less of a hindrance than I expected, and I haven’t tripped on it yet. But I did step on it once and worried, for a second, that I was about to smash my whole VR setup. After quite a few hours using the Vive, I’ve mostly trained myself to be aware of where the cable is in relation to me, like a good guitar player on stage, and prevent it from tangling around my feet. But at least once per session it gets in the way, and I have to pause briefly to deal with it. Having to step gingerly around it is a bummer, but an unavoidable one until wireless latency and battery life leap forward.

The added physicality of standing transforms the VR experience.

My favorite Vive game so far, The Gallery: Call of Starseed, exemplifies the capabilities of the hardware and VR in general. The Gallery is a first attempt at a Myst-style adventure in VR, starting you on a mysterious island at night, with some simple environmental puzzles to solve and ambiance to spare. The key is that The Gallery’s environment is rich enough in detail, and high fidelity enough, to be quietly thrilling to poke around.

I love walking around my playspace to lean over tables or peer around the corners of a cave. And navigating the environment is handled elegantly with a teleportation system: press on the Vive controller’s trackpad, use your head to aim, and release to teleport to the marker. Rotating your thumb on the trackpad can reorient the direction you’re facing when you reappear. It’s not so different from the ‘click to teleport forward’ movement of Myst all those years ago, but being inside a 3D environment as you move is what really makes the experience.

The Gallery’s story starts ambiguously enough to put an emphasis on its environment, and that pays off in some some genuinely wonderful little moments, like firing a roman candle up a well shaft and watching it ricochet into the sky. Even without those touches, The Gallery is a testament to how immersive and physical a VR game can be. I naturally don’t want to clip through objects and instinctively reach out to pick up things as if they’re real. My brain is bought in.

As with the Oculus Rift, many of the launch games on the HTC Vive are demos and short experiences that make for compelling introductions to VR. The short film “The Rose and I” is incredibly simple, yet standing inside it and watching it play out is surprisingly moving (though at five minutes long, the $5 price feels steep). Another favorite is VR Baseball, a simple home run derby that takes some real skill to play. Swinging my arms, both hands on a single Vive controller, I was able to hit four home runs after a few rounds of trying. Then PC Gamer's US EIC Evan Lahti gave it a single try and knocked 16 out of the park. You can probably guess which one of us plays sports.

Though a novel experience, $10 again feels steep for a home run derby with mechanics and options this simple. Prices for many VR games on Steam feel high for what’s on offer, because many of these fit into a category of games that I’ll play for half an hour, then shelve until I need something simple to show to friends and family. But amid those simple experiences are a handful of games more exciting than almost anything I’ve played on the Oculus Rift, and all of them capitalize on the immersion of room-scale VR and motion controls to elevate what would be a been-there, done-that game on a monitor.

The serene Carpe Lucem incorporates your ability to walk around in 3D into the design of its puzzles, which involve directing beams of light with a variety of different tools. The first time I grabbed an ‘L’ pipe piece and pulled it from background to foreground in 3D and saw it rotate as it changed planes, I knew this was going to tap into a part of my brain I wasn’t used to using in puzzle games. I really want to play Blockout in VR.

Space Pirate Trainer takes the basics of an ‘80s arcade shooter and makes it an agile VR experience that sends me crouching to the floor and dodging incoming lasers in slow motion like I’m in The Matrix. Audioshield has me punching music to the beat instead of tapping buttons.

The satisfaction of these simple interactions in VR can have a profound effect. They help me forget the weight of the headset on my head, forget the resolution of the screen, and be truly immersed. I can’t stress this enough: this kind of interaction in VR does fundamentally different things to your brain than sitting and playing a game with a controller. In five years, VR will be useful for all kinds of things, and all kinds of games, but the ones that involve our entire bodies will captivate us the most. And the Vive is already on its way.

Form and function

The HTC Vive is not an elegant headset. While the Oculus Rift evolved through many prototypes into a slick, light headset built to woo the mass market, the Vive looks much the same as it did when it was unveiled in 2015: a big, unapologetic hunk of plastic. Heavy plastic. The Vive weighs noticeably more than the Oculus Rift (555 grams vs 470 grams), and feels more cumbersome for two reasons: it’s held on your head purely with elastic straps, unlike the Rift’s semi-firm rubber that gives it more rigid support, and it tends to rest some of its weight on the bridge of your nose. Much of the Rift’s weight is in those support arms, and that weight doesn’t actually press down on your head.

Designing a VR headset is an enormously complex task, but I believe HTC could have—and should have—shaved more weight off the Vive, and developed a sturdier strap system to better support its bulk.

The first two times I tried to adjust the Vive for my head, I was ready to throw the $800 headset straight into the garbage. Everything frustrated me. Compared to the Oculus, it’s very difficult to properly strap on by yourself. The Vive’s cable runs along its top strap, which makes that strap annoying to loosen or tighten when the headset is in place. I tried tightening the side straps to hold the headset firm, but found that its weight caused it to droop on my face just enough to blur my center of vision slightly. I was close, but clarity was maddeningly just out of reach. And the plastic clip on the left strap was rubbing painfully against the back of my ear as I moved. I felt pissed.

Eventually I got it right, and my opinion softened. With the Vive snug on my head now, I can slip it on with ease and have a clear field of view in a few seconds. The foam padding around the facerest is softer and more comfortable than the Rift’s, and it comes with a second foam pad for ‘narrow faces.’ I’m just speculating here, but the Rift’s firmer foam may actually help hold it in place better against your face—my biggest problem with adjusting the Vive was its weight causing it to sag downwards just slightly. The Vive’s softer foam may also wear down and compress after a few months, but for now, it’s the more comfortable material to have pressed against your face.

...for now, [Vive is] the more comfortable to have pressed against your face.

The physicality of using the Vive can often help distract me from its weight, but it does start to pinch my nose after 15 minutes or so. I often find myself pulling back on the straps like I’m recentering a baseball cap on my head. The fit will be different for everyone, and I recommend having someone help adjust it for you the first time you put it on.

While I don’t like the Vive resting on my nose, I love the plastic baffling HTC built around the nosepiece—it blocks out far more light than the bottom of the Rift headset, but still allows enough light in for me to hold my earbuds under my chin and check which one goes in which ear. It’s much easier to completely ignore the outside world staring at the Vive’s screen.

But why do I have to use my own earbuds or headphones? The Rift’s built-in earpieces are brilliant—they sound great, are loud enough to block most outside noise, and easily swing into position (and out of the way) on small plastic arms. The Vive, despite costing $200 more, has… a dangling 3.5mm audio plug. HTC’s pack-in earbuds are a cheap, poor excuse for audio. And good sound is hugely important to VR—realistic 3D audio helps our brain buy into what our eyes are seeing.

Using your own audio source adds another cable to the Vive mix and further complicates the process of putting on the headset. I’ve tangled myself in my earbud cables, and I’ve had to reach around blindly when the cable swings loose. Like the heavy plastic mounting, the lack of integrated audio makes the Vive feel less like a polished consumer product and more like very powerful, but still slightly awkward, hardware for a very niche audience.

By trying to pack as much as possible into the Vive, HTC made some compromises. But some of its power features are truly great. The front-facing camera lets you see what’s going on outside the headset without taking it off, and is a powerful addition to the Chaperone system. Games aren’t really using it yet, but we’ll see more from the camera in the future. And the headset has a lens-to-eye distance adjuster, activated by pulling out on the strap mounts on each side and rotating the circular mount points, that could be great for those who wear glasses. Everyone on staff who wears glasses has been able to wear them inside the Vive without a problem, with a more comfortable fit than in the Rift.

The controllers

The HTC Vive’s controllers make all the difference. Yes, standing and walking around in room-scale VR creates immersion, but your natural reaction, once you have that immersion, is to reach out and touch the world around you. We’re not all the way there yet, but the Vive’s controllers get us closer than we’ve ever been before. They’re shaped like wands with circular tracking arrays mounted on top, and they’re elegantly simple in terms of inputs. There’s one trigger, typically used to activate menus and ‘grab’ objects. A trackpad, much like the ones on the Steam Controller, sits on the front, and can be divided up into multiple buttons or inputs by developers. Small buttons above and below the trackpad serve as menu buttons, and a squeezable grip under your palm adds on extra input.

From the time I’ve spent with Oculus’s still-in-development Touch controller, it’s hard to say which will finally be the better VR input. The Touch controllers feel more natural—like making a fist instead of holding a wand—but the Vive controller’s trackpad is a nice forward-thinking bit of technology compared to the Oculus Touch’s more antiquated array of dual joysticks and four face buttons.

Your natural reaction, once you have that immersion, is to reach out and touch the world around you.

The one feature of the Vive controller I don’t especially like is the grip button—it’s easy to accidentally squeeze in the heat of the moment. In VR Baseball, the grip changes the vista outside the stadium, and on more than one occasion I changed it from a normal skybox to OUTER SPACE by squeezing a little too hard when I took a swing. Actually, that was pretty cool. But the point stands.

The rechargeable batteries in the controller have yet to run out on me, even after several hours of VR play per day and sometimes forgetting to charge them overnight. They’re rated for four hours of continuous play, but I think I’ve put that much time on them in a single day without charging and the batteries held out.

The accuracy of Valve’s positional tracking makes it a joy to use the Vive controllers, especially in games that let you interact with most objects in the environment, and I often find myself wanting to touch walls, tables, and other virtual objects. The controllers don’t entirely disappear in your hands, but they work well enough to facilitate basic interactions easily and intuitively, and that’s thrilling in VR.

The display

The HTC Vive uses the same 1080x1200 pixel displays as the Oculus Rift, which are high resolution enough to make the ‘screen door’ pixel density issue of past headsets mostly a thing of the past. The 90 Hz refresh rate, coupled with the Vive’s extremely accurate positional tracking, does a fantastic job of preventing VR motion sickness. If using the Vive makes you feel queasy, it’s almost certainly the fault of the games, not the hardware.

Also like the Oculus Rift, the Vive uses a pair of fresnel lenses to warp its 2D screens into a 3D field in front of you. That means the same issues that exist on the Oculus exist on the Vive. Here’s how I described it in my Oculus Rift review:

“The edges of bright in-game objects (and especially text) produce a distracting shimmering effect some people are calling ‘god rays’ or ‘light rays.’ Imagine looking up at the sun while standing underneath a tree, and seeing bright beams of light striking your eyes from around the edges of the leaves and branches. It’s a bit like that in VR, but every bit of white text you look at will have those shimmering rays streaking out toward your eyes. They move as you move your head and your perspective on the virtual world shifts, making anything bright you aren’t looking directly at blurry.

You can see a good example of the light ray effect in action here. I don’t think I even noticed this effect at first. I was just wowed by being in VR. VR is really cool! But now I find the light rays a constant distraction, a reminder that I am looking at a screen, and often a source of eye strain when trying to read shimmery text.”

While this effect is still present on the Vive, I don’t find it as pronounced or noticeable as I did on the Rift. Perhaps that’s due to subtle differences in the lenses, or the distraction of standing up in VR, or simply the things I’m looking at on the screen. But I’m less bothered by the light ‘blur’ on objects as I move my head from side to side.

I also love the Vive’s field of view compared to the Oculus. It’s not dramatically bigger, but it’s a different shape and feels like a larger window into VR with more vertical space. It’s a bit like peering through an old oval diving maskcompared to the more horizontal Rift FOV.

The Vive’s screen is good enough for games and the SteamVR interface, but definitely too low-res for SteamVR’s ‘Desktop mode’ which lets you see your whole desktop. Things are too small to be easily legible and detail breaks up without a higher density pixel array. But there’s software to help with this, likeVirtual Desktop. If the next generation of VR headsets are able to step up to 4K panels, they’ll be far better at representing text and UI outside of games.

Wrapping up

The weight, straps, and lack of integrated audio in the Vive are all disappointing elements of its hardware design. There are compromises here that you shouldn’t have to make for $800. These things, for me, cause the Vive to narrowly miss out on being an exceptional piece of hardware as a portal into the world of VR.

And yet the experiences it produces are exceptional. Developers aren’t yet forging incredible new ground in VR, designing genres that were never possible or thought of before, but the experiences they are already delivering feel fundamentally different. Being able to walk around, reach out and touch things, and believe you’re inside a 3D world—when I do those things on the Vive, it’s hard not to think that the future is here. A future that’s a little too heavy, a little ungainly, but bold and promising nonetheless.

When I played platformer JUMP, even with a controller, my stomach dropped each time I fell. Some part of my brain thought it was real. When I ask myself if I want to deal with the weight of the headset to play something as physically engaging as Space Pirate Trainer, even though it’s little more than an arcade shooting gallery, I say yes. When I draw in TiltBrush, I can’t help being excited about all the things kids and artists more skilled than I will create with it, that I’ll then be able to walk around in three dimensions. When I play awkward or basic launch games like A Legend of Luca, a fully room-scale RPG adventure, I see the potential of more complex games a year down the road.

The VR scene on SteamVR feels bustling, with more games coming every day and dozens already playable. Most still fit into that category of games that show the potential of VR, but won’t captivate your attention long-term. In the Vive, that feels okay, because the sheer act of being there is powerful by itself. Maybe it’s not reality, but it’s real enough.

Written by: Wes Fenlon

Source: http://www.pcgamer.com/htc-vive-review/?utm_content=buffer3a371&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer-maxpc

The Perfect Siesta! How & How long?

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 21:12:00 +0000

For years, napping has been derided as a sign of laziness. We are "caught" napping or "found asleep at the switch". But lately it has garnered new respect, thanks to scientific evidence that midday dozing benefits both mental acuity and overall health. A slew of recent studies have shown that naps boost alertness, creativity, mood, and productivity in the later hours of the day.

A nap of 60 minutes improves alertness for up to 10 hours. Research on pilots shows that a 26-minute "Nasa" nap in flight (while the plane is manned by a copilot) enhanced performance by 34% and overall alertness by 54%. One Harvard study published last year showed that a 45-minute nap improves learning and memory. Napping reduces stress and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke, diabetes, and excessive weight gain.

Getting even the briefest nap is better than nothing. A 2008 study in Düsseldorf showed that the onset of sleep may trigger active memory processes that remain effective even if sleep is limited to only a few minutes. And last year, a British study suggested that just knowing a nap was coming was enough to lower blood pressure.

Naps make you brainier, healthier, safer. But to understand how you can nap best, you need to understand your body.

• Jennifer Ackerman is the author of Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body

How long should you rest for?

In designing the optimal nap you need to grasp its potential components. During sleep, your brain's electrical activity goes through a five-phase cycle.

A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes yields mostly Stage 2 sleep, which enhances alertness and concentration, elevates mood, and sharpens motor skills. To boost alertness on waking, you can drink a cup of coffee before you nap. Caffeine requires 20 or 30 minutes to take effect, so it will kick in just as you're waking. Naps of up to 45 minutes may also include rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which enhances creative thinking and boosts sensory processing.

Limit your nap to 45 minutes or less, if you need to spring into action after dozing. Otherwise, you may drift into slow-wave sleep. Waking from this stage results in sleep inertia, that grogginess and disorientation that can last for half an hour or more.

But you might want to take a long nap, at least 90 minutes. Many of us get about an hour to an hour-and-a-half less sleep a night than we need. One recent study shows that the sleep-deprived brain toggles between normal activity and complete lapses, or failures, a dangerous state of slowed responses and foggy inattention. Sound familiar?

Naps of 90 to 120 minutes usually comprise all stages, including REM and deep slow-wave sleep, which helps to clear your mind, improve memory recall, and recoup lost sleep. Longer naps in the morning yield more REM sleep, while those in the afternoon offer more slow-wave sleep. A nap that is long enough to include a full sleep cycle, at least 90 minutes, will limit sleep inertia by allowing you to wake from REM sleep.

The science of sleep

Illustration: Javier Zarracina/Boston Globe

Why do we need to nap?

Most mammals sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans have consolidated sleep into one long period, but our bodies are programmed for two periods of intense sleepiness: in the early morning, from about 2am to 4am, and in the afternoon, between 1pm and 3pm. This midday wave of drowsiness is not due to heat or a heavy lunch (it occurs even if we skip eating) but from an afternoon quiescent phase in our physiology, which diminishes our reaction time, memory, coordination, mood, and alertness.

Illustration: Javier Zarracina/Boston Globe

Are you a lark or an owl?

To determine the best time to nap, it helps to know your "chronotype". What time would you get up and go to sleep if you were entirely free to plan your day? If you're a lark, apt to wake as early as 6am and go to sleep around 9pm or 10pm, you're going to feel your nap need around 1pm or 1.30 pm.

Illustration: Javier Zarracina/Boston Globe

If you're an owl, preferring to go to bed after midnight or 1am, and to wake around 8am or 9am, your afternoon "sleep gate" will open later, closer to 2.30pm or 3pm.

Cleanse Your Liver Naturally with these Super Foods

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 21:05:00 +0000

We live in a world where disease is everywhere, and becoming more prevalent by the day. This should come as no surprise, as the environment we choose to surround ourselves with is extremely toxic. The food we eat, the water we drink, the very air we breathe – all have become potentially hazardous to our health. Equally worrying are the chemicals we use every day. One great example is bleach; it’s one the most commonly used and relied upon cleaners in the world, but it can be very damaging to the respiratory tract just by inhalation of the gases it emits when used.

Another example is pesticides, used en mass on our food, which have been linked to a number of health ailments. Scientists have been concerned about our toxic environment for a long time. Here is research showing how toxins commonly found in the environment can lead to a number of disorders, including autism.

One could spend all day listing the toxins in our everyday lives, but the point remains, you do have a choice. Instead of surrounding yourself in a toxic environment, unthinking, you can work towards consciously surrounding yourself in as natural, clean, and chemically free an environment as possible. The importance of detoxification is huge today, and there are a number of ways to cleanse your body and its organs of the drastic amount of chemicals they accumulate and retain over the years.

The Liver Is Very Important

This is about detoxing the body’s largest gland, the liver. Without a liver, a person cannot survive. It has a number of functions including, but not limited to:

Detoxifying the blood to rid it of harmful substances (like toxins, drugs, alcohol, and more)

Stores vitamins and iron

Converts stored sugar to usable sugar when the body’s sugar levels fall below normal

Produces bile, a substance needed to digest fats

Breaks down hemoglobin as well as insulin and other hormones

Destroys old red blood cells

The liver performs so many vital functions, and as a result it is very prone to disease.

Detox Your Liver With These 19 Super Foods

1. Beets and Carrots: Carrots are rich in Glutathione, a protein that helps detoxify the liver. Both are extremely high in plant-flavonoids and beta-carotene. Eating beets and carrots can help stimulate and improve overall liver function. (Source)

2. Tomatoes: They have abundant amounts of Glutathione (see article above) which again, are a great detoxifier for the liver. As a side effect, Lycopene in tomatoes will protect against breast, skin, and lung cancer. (Source)

3. Grapefruit: Another source of the liver cleansing glutathione. It’s also high in vitamin C and antioxidants, which boost the production of liver detoxification enzymes and increase the natural cleansing process of the liver.

4. Spinach: Raw spinach is also a major source of glutathione, triggering the toxin cleansing enzymes of the liver.

5. Citrus Fruits: Lemons and limes contain very high amounts of vitamin C, which helps stimulate the liver and aids the synthesizing of toxic materials into substances that can be absorbed by water.

6. Cabbage: The isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from cabbage’s glucosinolates provides liver detoxifying enzymes that help flush out toxins. (Source) (Source)

7. Turmeric: Turmeric is the liver’s favorite spice and helps boost liver detox. It does this by assisting enzymes that actively flush out dietary carcinogens. (Source)

8. Walnuts: Walnuts are a good source of glutathione, omega-3 fatty acids, and the amino acid arginine, which supports normal liver cleansing actions, especially when detoxifying ammonia.

9. Avocados: A nutrient-dense superfood, avocado helps the body produce glutathione.

10. Apples: They are high in pectin and other chemicals essential to cleansing and releasing toxins from the digestive tract. Apples make it easier for the liver to handle the toxic load during the cleansing process.

11. Brussels sprouts: Brussels sprouts are high in sulfur and glucosinolate, which forces the liver to release enzymes that block damage from environmental or dietary toxins.

12. Garlic: Garlic is loaded with sulphur, which activates liver enzymes that help your body flush out toxins. Garlic also holds high amounts of allicin and selenium, two natural compounds that also aid in liver cleansing.

13. Dandelion: Dandelion root tea assists the liver in breaking down fats, producing amino acids, and generally ridding it of toxins. (Source)

14. Leafy Green Vegetables: Green veggies are extremely high in plant chlorophylls that absorb environmental toxins, increase bile production, and neutralize heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides, which lowers the burden on the liver.

15. Cruciferous Vegetables: Eating broccoli and cauliflower will increase production of glucosinolate in your system, which helps flush out carcinogens and other toxins.

16. Asparagus: Asparagus is a great diuretic, helping in the cleansing process and sharing the detox load of the liver and kidneys. (Source)

17. Green Tea: Green tea is full of plant antioxidants known as catechins, a compound known to assist liver function.

18. Olive Oil: Cold-pressed organic oils such as olive, hemp, and flaxseed offer great support for the liver, providing the body with a liquid base that can suck up harmful toxins in the body.

19. Alternative Grains: Gluten rich grains such as wheat and rye increase the load on the liver’s detox function and enzyme production. Switch to alternative grains like quinoa, millet, and buckwheat.

Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/07/06/19-super-foods-that-naturally-cleanse-your-liver/

Mother tries to beat her kid and this 2 dogs do this... (Gotta Love the animals!)

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 20:45:00 +0000

Don't worry, she ain't actually trying to beat the kid, she is pretending to beat him and the dogs reaction is amazing...

Huawei P9 with 2 Leica back cameras... The photography phone!

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 19:15:00 +0000

This New Phone Has TWO Cameras — And Both Are Better Than the iPhone's

Move over iPhone, there’s a cool new smartphone in town. Chinese-based tech company Huawei, creator of the successful Nexus 6P, has just rolled out its latest models, and they’re beautiful.

The P9 and P9 Plus have so many cool features, like all-metal frames, “fast charging”technology, and 32GB or 64GB of storage space, respectively. The P9 measures around 5.2 inches and is available in six colors, while the P9 Plus is 5.5 inches and comes in six colors — including pink and purple.

But here’s the biggest reason why you should consider dropping your iPhone and getting one of these: Both models come with two cameras that Huawei created with Leica, a renowned camera brand. One camera on the phone takes photos in color (a full RBG sensor), while the other captures in black and white (a monochrome sensor), which allows you to get higher quality photos no matter the circumstances or lighting conditions. And the technology doesn’t stop there: Huawei’s camera models find a focal point in your photos after you’ve taken the picture instead of before, which aids in eliminating blurriness. They also have a dual-tone LED flash, reports Android Authority.

How does this compare to well-known smartphones like the iPhone? Huawei says that its phones' cameras let in 270% more light than the iPhone 6S. So if you want to snap the best selfies ever, you might want to consider picking up a P9 or P9 Plus.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p9-pictures-7972.php

Isaac Newton’s Lost Alchemy Recipe Discovered: Are Magic & Superpowers Science?

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:53:00 +0000

Speaking seriously about either ‘magic’ or ‘superpowers’ will get you branded as a quack by the majority of mainstream scientists today. This is unfortunate for several reasons, most notably for the simple fact that what we perceive to be ‘superpowers’ — phenomena like telepathy, distant healing, psychokinesis, mental control over our own biology, and more — have been tested and researched, and have yielded a number of statistically significant results. The sheer volume of credible research which has been published in various peer-reviewed scientific journals on the subject is actually a bit overwhelming. Those who dismiss findings in this field as pseudoscience do not seem to be doing any research before arriving at this conclusion.

A statistics professor at the University of California, Irvine, for example, published a paper regarding mind mater research which demonstrated that the evidence of Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) is significantly stronger than the statistics showing that a daily dose of aspirin helps prevent heart attack. The study also showed how parapsychological (psi) studies produced stronger results compared to the effectiveness of antiplatelets, which are a group of medicines that stop blood cells from sticking together and forming a blood clot.

There are many examples and strong results in psi. For a short list of a few (out of many) downloadable peer-reviewed journal articles reporting studies of psychic phenomena, mostly published in the 21st century, you can click HERE,

Another fact you might not be aware of is that most of our pioneering scientists were all mystics. Issaac Newton is a great example; most of his published works were classified as occult studies, but this is never mentioned in the mainstream scientific literature.

Isaac Newton And Alchemy

A 17th century document that has been held in a private collection for decades is now in the hands of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit group situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In February, they purchased the document and are now working on uploading digital images and transcripts to an online database so more people can study Newton’s take on alchemy.

According to science historian William Newman of Indiana University:

While there’s no evidence that Newton actually made sophick mercury, the manuscript will help scholars understand how he interpreted alchemy’s often deeply encoded recipes. The document also underscores the fact that Newton—a father of modern physics and co-discoverer of calculus—was greatly influenced by alchemy and his collaborations with alchemists. (source)

National Geographic goes on to emphasize how “Newton wrote more than one million words about alchemy throughout his life, in the hope of using ancient knowledge to better explain the nature of matter. . . .”

Alchemy is considered to be a philosophical tradition which has been practiced by various cultures throughout human history. Its aim was to purify, mature, perfect, and transmute certain substances like lead and precious metals into gold. It’s commonly associated with ‘the Philosopher’s Stone,’ an alchemical substance that was also capable of turning base material into gold.

The document provides details on how to make “sophick mercury,” a substance seen as a main ingredient for the Philosopher’s Stone. The stone in turn could supposedly change base metals like lead into other substances, like gold. Newton copied the recipe by hand from a text by American-born alchemist George Starkey, but there is no evidence that he was actually successful in his experiments.

Again, this type of phenomenon is well documented throughout history, which is why scientists like Isaac Newton were so interested in it. He studied alchemy in depth, and it seems he had no doubts about its merit. Unfortunately, many of his writings on alchemy have been lost, apparently burned in a laboratory accident. Further complicating matters is the fact that much of his work on the subject was actually forbidden at the time, as scientists faced punishment and censure for pursuing occult topics. The English crown even feared the discovery of the Philosopher’s Stone because it would make gold — the substance they used (and still use) to control the monetary system — less valuable. All these facts are well documented. If you want to learn more or to confirm these findings for yourself, a great place to start is a documentary done by NOVA PBS, which you can access here.

Alchemy Is No Joke

Newton invented calculus, and is known (obviously) for many other things, but he is one of a long list of scientists throughout history to be heavily interested in what we often consider to be “occult studies.”

Evidence shows that alchemy may have more merit than we believe, however. Even in recent history we’ve seen heavy interest in the subject, with science historians working to decipher alchemical texts. Their task is not an easy one, however, as alchemists were obsessed with secrecy, and they would purposefully describe their experiments in figurative language.

Smithsonian Magazine tells us more about modern historical attempts to decipher these texts:

This painstaking process of decoding allowed researchers, for the first time, to attempt ambitious alchemical experiments. Lawrence Principe, a chemist and science historian at Johns Hopkins University, cobbled together obscure texts and scraps of 17th-century laboratory notebooks to reconstruct a recipe to grow a “Philosophers’ Tree” from a seed of gold. Supposedly this tree was a precursor to the more celebrated and elusive Philosopher’s Stone, which would be able to transmute metals into gold. The use of gold to make more gold would have seemed entirely logical to alchemists, Principe explains, like using germs of wheat to grow an entire field of wheat.

Again, there are multiple examples throughout ancient and modern history; even Robert Boyle, one of the 17th-century founders of modern chemistry, scavenged the work of German physician and alchemist Daniel Sennert.

I am going to leave you with this little excerpt from a book titled The Secret Teachings of All Ages, written by Manly P. Hall, a scholar of occult studies and a 33rd degree Mason:

The alchemical philosophers used the symbols of salt, sulphur, and mercury to represent not only chemicals but the spiritual and invisible principles of God, man and the universe. The three substances existing in four worlds, with the sum adding up to the sacred number 12. These 12 are the foundation stones of the sacred city. In line with the same idea Pythagoras asserted that the dodecahedron, or twelve-faved symmetrical geometric solid, was the foundation of the universe. Maybe there not be a relation also between this mysterious 3 times 4 and the four parties o three which in the legend of the third degree of Freemasonry go forth to the four angels of the cherubim, the composite creature of four parts?

As one of the great alchemists fittingly observed, man’s quest for gold is often his undoing, for he mistakes the alchemical processes, believing them to be purely material. He does not realize that the Philosopher’s Golf, the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Philosopher’s Medicine exist in each of the four worlds and that the consummation of the experiment cannot be realized until it is successfully carried on in four worlds simultaneously according to one formula. Furthermore, one of the constituents of the alchemical formula exists only within the nature of man himself, without which his chemicals will not combine, and though he spend his life and fortune in chemical experimentation, he will not produce the desired end. The paramount reason why the material scientist is incapable of uplifting the achievements of the mediaeval alchemists – although he follow every step carefully and accurately – is that the subtle element which comes out of the nature of the illuminated and regenerated alchemical philosopher is missing in his experimentation

This is the strength of all powers. This is a very strong figure, that does positively posses all the powers concealed in Nature, not for destruction but for exaltation and regeneration of matter, in the three departments of nature. With all this thous wilt be able to overcome all things, and to transmute all what is fine and what is corse. It will conquer every subtle thing, of course, as it refixes the most subtle Oxygen into its own fiery Nature and that with more power, penetration and virtue

The Philosophers stone is really the philosopher’s stone, for philosophy is truly likened to a magic jewel whose touch transmutes base substances into priceless gems like itself. Wisdom is the alchemist’s powder of projection which transforms which transforms many thousand times its own weight of gross ignorance into the precious substance of enlightenment

The Philosophers stone contains all the powers of nature, it is established by the harmony of the four elements

Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/04/09/issac-netwons-lost-alchemy-recipe-discovered-are-magic-superpowers-just-science-we-have-yet-to-understand/

Places To Go - Hotel Villa Honegg, Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:44:00 +0000

Hotel Villa Honegg, Switzerland

Looking forward to relax?

Rising high on Mount Bürgenstock, this early 1900s villa offers luxurious rooms with balconies and a heated infinity pool overlooking Lake Lucerne. Facilities include a private cinema and a wellness centre.

Hotel Villa Honegg was entirely renovated in 2011 and its air-conditioned rooms are decorated with leather armchairs and relaxing beige colours.

All rooms feature a Nespresso coffee machine and are equipped with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV and safety deposit boxes. All guests receive coffee and tea in the room, as well as bathrobes and slippers.

Guests can exercise in the modern gym or relax in the wellness area, with hammam, sauna, steam bath and indoor pool. A wide selection of massage and beauty treatments are also available.

There is an elegant restaurant with terrace that serves local dishes and Lebanese specialities, while the lounge bar offers a fireplace and an extensive cigar and cocktail menu.

Honegg Villa has a 24-hour front desk and guests can use the free electric bikes or visit the 9-holes Bürgenstock Golf Club, which is just 1 km from the hotel. Lucerne is 20 minutes away by car.

Source: http://www.booking.com/

DIY - Geometric Pattern Scrap Wood Coffee Table by Robglacier

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:30:00 +0000

Check Out this amazing instructable on how to build a damn cool looking coffee table!

There's also a step-by-step instructable here.

Source: http://www.instructables.com/id/Geometric-Pattern-Scrap-Wood-Coffee-Table/

Meet the incredible 3D ROBOTICS SOLO

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:37:00 +0000

3D ROBOTICS SOLO

CINEMATIC MADE AUTOMATIC

3DR has created the one and only drone that can automatically control both copter and camera positioning in flight. The dual 1 GHz Linux companion computers power one-of-a-kind Smart Shots so anyone, beginner or pro, can get sweeping multi-axis cinematic live HD video from day one, just by pushing a button.

AERIAL MOTION CONTROL IN A BACKPACK

Your drone can go much further than just getting cool shots: It gives you the full Hollywood toolkit as software — an automatic crane, dolly, jib, boom, slider, tripod and, of course, helicopter. In a backpack.

HOW IT WORKS

It’s not just on or off, manual or autonomous. You can tailor Smart Shots in real time to work for you, using as much computer-powered flight or camera control as you need to bring your creative vision to life.

1. You Do It All – Fly and film like any consumer drone. Control the drone and the camera by yourself, using unique Solo features like preset angles and fine-grain tilt control.

2. Split the Work – You can choose to have your copter’s computer be a second operator, either a pilot or cameraman. Let Solo fly itself (locked on predetermined paths for consistent and safe flights) while you operate the camera, or fly yourself while the drone’s computer controls the camera for you, easing between keyframes or staying locked on a subject as you Orbit or Follow.

3. Drone Does It All – Quickly set up a shot exactly as your creative mind envisions it (position in space, how the camera pans and tilts, and speed of the shot) and let Solo execute it. Reveal subjects, orbit subjects or ease in and out of two keyframes.

No matter how much you’re letting your drone do, you can override it at any time, choosing to tweak, tune, shape and direct your shots for ultimate creative control.

See what we mean: Watch it in action on set as our team works on a short film shot entirely on Solo.

SMART SHOTS: PRO AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON

It’s not enough anymore to make a drone easy to fly. We’ve solved a bigger problem: Make it easy to tell your story. To do this we invented Smart Shots — automatic scripted camera moves that mimic the familiar tricks of Hollywood directors. You can now shoot like a pro on Solo without years of flight practice.

Solo is also a virtual two-man aerial film crew: It can work the camera as you fly, or fly itself while you work the camera. You can get pro shots on your very first drone flight — it’s almost unfair. Just set the exact shot you want, press “play” and let the drone handle all of the work. Turn a moment into a movie.

A CONTROLLER SMARTER THAN MOST DRONES

Even if you’ve never flown a drone, the Solo controller will feel natural the moment you pick it up. It has its own 1 GHz computer, the first controller designed specifically for the photographer in you: Adjust and save camera positions, change sweep speed, record video and snap photos with the push of a button. All while crisp HD video streams on your mobile screen. Look down: It’s more like holding a camera than holding a drone controller.

And much more...

Source: https://3dr.com/solo-drone/

The Godfather Mansion - Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:19:00 +0000

Hearst Mansion, Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills mansion that featured in The Godfather and The Bodyguard, and provided a romantic retreat for John F Kennedy and his new bride Jackie on their honeymoon, was listed for $135 million back in 2014.

The historic mansion, set on six acres of land close to Sunset Boulevard, has had only four owners since it was built in the 1920s, but countless A-list celebrities, royalty and high-profile figures have been guests there.

From the honeymooning Kennedys, to parties for Rihanna and Prince Albert of Monaco, the legendary Beverly House had become nearly as famous as those who have graced its rooms.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2597525/Make-offer-refuse-Beverly-Hills-mansion-Godfather-filmed-goes-sale-135-million.html

The shocking discovery underneath the Easter Island heads!

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 15:03:00 +0000

The Easter Island is one of the remote islands of the world, and it is famous for The Eastern Island Heads, also called moai. These are some 887 extant monumental statues are present on this island and in museums and most of them have very big faces with enigmatic expressions. These statues were carved out of compressed volcanic ash, basalt, pumice and other elements by the Rapu Nai people, around 1250-1500 CE. The tallest among them named Paro is a 30 feet tall moai weighing around 82 tons.

The discovery

Scientists have discovered that the statues are not just faces, in fact most have full bodies with torsos and most of them finishing up till knees. On the outside, only the giant faces were to be seen, but after excavations, researchers found that they indeed have full bodies and have engravings on them. These engravings are in an indecipherable writing, known as petroglyphs. Now, it is uncertain whether these bodies were buried on purpose or whether they got buried because of time and erosion. But, one thing is certain, the mystery which could not be solved till date, i.e. the reason of their existence, have been deepened further, as the carvings on these bodies definitely hold some meaning, but only time will tell whether the researchers are able to decipher the meanings or not.

Physical characteristics of the statues

The heads of these statues is what is mostly visible and it is their faces which have unique features. Most of the moai have an average height of 4 m, and weigh around 12.5 tonnes. The faces of moai are characterised by a broad nose, a strong chin, rectangle shaped ears, lips protruding into thin pouts and very deep eye slits. The expressions on these faces are enigmatic and show a great hint of pride.

History of the People who carved them

The Rapu Nai people are believed to have come and settled on this island during 700-1100 CE. According to some oral traditions recorded by missionaries in 1860s, the island initially had a stiff and strong class system. The area was headed by a high chief called an ariki, exercised great power over the other clans which were present on the island. The most important cultural activity for the people was to build massive statues, and some scholars believe that these statues were of the deified ancestors.

A belief on the beliefs of the people

In a report National Geographic had said that some scholars believe that moai were built to honor the ancestors, chiefs, and other important personages of the time. But, all this is not certain as there are no written or oral historical facts available.

The relationship between the Rapi Nau people and the statues

There is also this belief that the people had a symbolic relationship with their ancestors, and they believed that whatever comes to them, comes through the ancestors. The ancestors provided them with health, fertility, fortune and protection. And in return, the people gave offerings to the ancestors which ensured a better place for them in the spirit world. As most of the settlements were located on the coastal areas, the statues were also erected on the coastline, and they were believed to be watching over the habitants of the islands and faced their backs towards the sea.

Source: http://trendingpost.net/trending-news/the-shocking-discovery-underneath-the-easter-island-heads/

Must See: Aogashima Volcano, Japan

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:26:00 +0000

Aogashima Volcano, Japan

Aogashima is a volcanic Japanese island in the Philippine Sea.^[1] The island is administered by Tokyo and located approximately 358 kilometres (222 mi) south of Tokyo and 64 kilometres (40 mi) south ofHachijō-jima. It is the southernmost and most isolated inhabited island of the Izu archipelago.^[2]

The village of Aogashima administers the island under Hachijō Subprefecture of Tokyo Metropolis. The island's area is 8.75 km² (3.38 sq mi) and, as of 2014, its population 170. Aogashima is also within the boundaries of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

Aogashima is a complex Quaternary volcanic island 3.5 km in length with a maximum width of 2.5 km, formed by the overlapping remnants of at least four submarine calderas. The island is surrounded by very steep rugged cliffs of layered volcanic deposits. The southern coast also rises to a sharp ridge forming one edge of a caldera named Ikenosawa with a diameter of 1.5 km. The caldera dominates the island, with one point on its southern ridge, Otonbu with a height of 423 metres (1,388 ft), as the island's highest point. The caldera is occupied by a secondary cone named Maruyama.

Still considered a Class-C active volcano by the Japan Meteorological Agency, the last eruption of Aogashima was during a four-year period from 1781–1785.

The history of human settlement on Aogashima is uncertain. Most of the people in Aogashima are Japanese. The island is mentioned in Edo period records kept at Hachijō-jima, which record volcanic activity in 1652, and from 1670–1680. An earthquake swarm in July 1780 was followed by steam rising from the lakes in the Ikenosawa Caldera. Further earthquakes in May 1781 led to an eruption. In April 1783, lava flows from the Maruyama cone resulted in the evacuation of all 63 households on the island. During a massive eruption in 1785, some 130–140 of the population of 327 islanders perished.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aogashima

The endless benefits of Aloe Vera...

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 14:14:00 +0000

Aloe Vera is definitely a miracle plant, no wonder why it is the latest health and beauty craze!

The benefits of the stuff seem endless. After all, the Sanskrit name for aloe vera is kumari, which means ‘princess’, attesting to its ability to help you maintain youthful beauty and a healthy glow. Sounds good, right?

Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs and an expert in herbalism, says: ‘Aloe Vera is renowned as a ’heal-all’ that is good for many conditions, both internal and external.

‘It is a great rejuvenator and can help in some of life’s big transitions, from cleansing teenage skin to cooling menopausal hot flushes and soothing dryness.’

Here, Sebastian breaks down the benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Detoxifying

Aloe vera juice is crammed full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals making it one of nature’s most effective cleansers. ‘It can help strengthen digestion and rid the body of any nasty waste, thus detoxifying the body naturally,’ says Sebastian. ‘Its main property is to be soothing, cooling and moistening which helps to clear inflammatory and irritating heat, such as in menopause, plus inflammatory skin and digestive problems, such as acne, rosacea and IBS.’

2. Supports the immune system

Aloe vera is packed full of immune-boosting polysaccharides which help the immune system to behave properly. ‘Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions like asthma, eczema and Crohn’s disease. Soothing herbs like aloe vera juice can slow the inflammatory cascade and help reorder the immune response to prevent these conditions.’

3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

There is some evidence to suggest aloe vera lowers cholesterol and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, meaning it can be useful for treating diabetes and obesity.

4. Excellent for digestion

It's worth trying for anyone who suffers with digestion problems like IBS. Its healing and soothing properties can help with the painful symptoms.

Read more at http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/suzannah-ramsdale/547490/aloe-vera-juice-benefits-they-are-endless.html#R73gmipfglmQubuh.99

The benefits seem endless. The Sanskrit name for aloe vera is kumari, which means ‘princess’, attesting to its ability to help you maintain youthful beauty and a healthy glow. Sounds good, right?
Sebastian Pole, co-founder of Pukka Herbs and an expert in herbalism, says: ‘Aloe Vera is renowned as a ’heal-all’ that is good for many conditions, both internal and external.

‘It is a great rejuvenator and can help in some of life’s big transitions, from cleansing teenage skin to cooling menopausal hot flushes and soothing dryness.’

Here, Sebastian breaks down the benefits of aloe vera juice:

1. Detoxifying

Aloe vera juice is crammed full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals making it one of nature’s most effective cleansers. ‘It can help strengthen digestion and rid the body of any nasty waste, thus detoxifying the body naturally,’ says Sebastian. ‘Its main property is to be soothing, cooling and moistening which helps to clear inflammatory and irritating heat, such as in menopause, plus inflammatory skin and digestive problems, such as acne, rosacea and IBS.’

2. Supports the immune system

Aloe vera is packed full of immune-boosting polysaccharides which help the immune system to behave properly. ‘Too much inflammation in the body can cause problems within the immune system and can cause conditions like asthma, eczema and Crohn’s disease. Soothing herbs like aloe vera juice can slow the inflammatory cascade and help reorder the immune response to prevent these conditions.’

3. Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar

There is some evidence to suggest aloe vera lowers cholesterol and has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, meaning it can be useful for treating diabetes and obesity.

4. Excellent for digestion

It's worth trying for anyone who suffers with digestion problems like IBS. Its healing and soothing properties can help with the painful symptoms.

5. An easy way to boost your vitamin and mineral intake

Aloe vera juice is packed with vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid. It’s also rich in minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium and potassium. Sounds pretty good, right?

6. Hair growth

Full of natural vitamins and enzymes that can directly promote healthy hair.

7. Good for burns, acne and hydrating skin

When used topically aloe vera can soothe inflamed skin and enhance collagen and hyaluronic acid to help rejuvenate skin.

It sounds amazing, but are there any side effects you should know about?

'There are no negative side effects if you use a pure aloe vera inner leaf juice,' Sebastian. 'If you use an aloe vera leaf product it may have high aloin levels and aloin is a laxative which can cause diarrhoea if too much is used.' Of course, you should always consult your doctor before undergoing any complementary or alternative treatments for health problems.

How much aloe vera juice should should we take?

It depends on the potency of the aloe vera. Sebastian recommends taking 3 – 6 tablespoons of Pukka’s Aloe Vera once or twice a day.

Mix it in fruit juice or smoothies, or drink on its own.

Source: http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/suzannah-ramsdale/547490/aloe-vera-juice-benefits-they-are-endless.html

12 of The best Gadgets in The World!

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 21:43:00 +0000

1. Best smartphone - Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung hit hard with the S5, however, with the Galaxy S6 Edge it landed a knockout blow, taking out Apple’s iPhone 6S with aplomb. That combination of a stylish glass and metal build, gorgeous curved screen and stunning camera just blew us away here at T3 Towers and, as can be seen in our review, this phone has a unique ability to turn iPhone and Windows Phone users green with envy.

2. Best home audio - B&W Zeppelin Wireless

Want to know how to partner gorgeous high-concept design with best-in-class functionality? Well, look no further than the B&W Zeppelin Wireless, an absolutely killer speaker system that delivers an awesome audio range in a super stylish and sleek body. T3’s own resident audiophile Duncan Bell said: ‘I've sat through so many mid- to high-end audio demos where I've had to smile politely and say, "Mmm yes, very clear," while counting the minutes till the meeting's end, but the Zeppelin was not like that. It sounded like music rather than "hi-fi", and it rocked.’

3. Best tablet - iPad Air 2

Despite the recent hype surrounding the iPad Pro, which is a very tasty piece of kit we have to admit, it is the iPad Air 2 that retains the crown of ultimate tablet. Why? A super sleek and sexy design, spectacular display and solid A8X processor deliver a fast and fluid tablet experience, allowing you to browse, watch and create with unparalleled ease. Oh, and it’s far more affordable than the Pro.

4. Best headphones - Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H8

These headphones just encapsulate the word premium. Bang & Olufsen, the high-end audio company, really killed it with the BeoPlay H8, delivering a wireless pair of headphones that not only delivers fantastic sound but looks and feels superb too. The fact that these bad boys are made out of anodised aluminium and weigh just 255g tells you all you need to know about how they feel on the head. They’re expensive but, just… damn!

5. Best TV - LG 55EG960V

Ok, we know, that’s some serious brass to layout on a TV, however we can absolutely guarantee that it will be money well spent as this OLED 4K, ULTRA HD TV from LG is just stunning. With a sound system designed by Harman / Kardon, as well as packing a Smart TV interface, 4K upscaler and LG’s Perfect Black tech, watching both 2D and 3D content on this bad boy is simply a dream. A jaw-dropping combination of total black, cracking colour, judder-free video, a reflection-free curve and an innate ability to make standard-def sources ripple with realism.

6. Best smartwatch - Apple Watch

Apple’s first wearable isn’t perfect, however after selling out on launch and now a recognisable sight on the highstreet, there’s no doubting its impact. And, looking at the tech, it’s not hard to see why. The OLED display is beautiful, with great contrast, the battery life is solid and the functionality rich and varied. The Apple Watch is luxury over necessity for sure, but as luxury tech goes, it’s really rather attractive.

7. Best TV streamer - Amazon Fire TV

Delivering Ultra HD, 4K streaming capabilities at a budget price, the Fire TV is a great choice if you’re looking to augment your entertainment setup with a capable media centre. This is especially true if you’re a Amazon Prime subscriber, with its vast library of content slickly accessible through the Fire’s responsive and intuitive UI.

8. Best fitness tracker - Fitbit Charge HR

Yes, the Fitbit Blaze is incoming, however right now we’d plump for the excellent Fitbit Charge HR, which does everything you’d want a fitness tracker to do exceptionally well. It lacks the razzmatazz of some other smartwatch competitors, however the Charge HR’s narrow, slim-line design, rich array of tracking capabilities - including steps, floors, heart rate, calories and more - and mid-tier price point combine to produce a really tidy piece of kit. It’s not an either-or product too, with both a Charge HR and a separate watch easily wearable on the same wrist.

9. Best laptop - Dell XPS 15

Loaded with Dell’s InfinityEdge virtually borderless display, a GeForce GTX 960M 2GB GDDR5 graphics card and premium aluminium and carbon fibre chassis, the XPS 15 is one hell of a laptop. When you consider this machine at this price point comes stocked with 16GB of RAM, a Core i7 Quad-Core processor and a 1TB SSD, then you’re looking at a system with simply monstrous power and potential. If you can afford it and need a laptop, the XPS 15 is the obvious choice.

10. Best connected home - Apple HomeKit

Apple’s play at the connected smart home market, HomeKit is a neat piece of software with the ability to link together various pieces of hardware around your house and allow you to control them through your phone. HomeKit is baked into iOS 9 and, once you’ve named and grouped any compatible hardware - which of course is on sale through Apple's online store - you can start turning off lights, switching on cookers and cranking up the temperature of your thermostat all through your phone.

11. Best camera - Olympus OM-D EM-10

The best Micro Four Thirds camera on the market, the E-M10 is a super slim, lightweight camera that can cover all your photography needs. It’s packed with a 3-inch, tiltable touchscreen, an in-body 3-axis Image Stabilisation system and an ultra-fast autofocus system which, when combined, produce very desireable results. The classic design makes it look really classy too.

12. Best automotive - BMW i8

The Tesla Model S is breathing down its back, however the i8 remains the king of this sector for now thanks to its excellent fuel consumption stats. That’s right, despite hitting 62mph in a tasty 4.4 seconds, the i8 has an average fuel consumption rating of 134.5mpg and CO2 rating of 49g/km. Those numbers make this one of the most economical and environmentally friendly vehicles on the planet. Supercar performance without the associated running costs and environmental concerns. Of course, you do still need to pony up the £112k!

Source: http://www.t3.com/features/best-gadgets

Watch this and go rock this World! "Unstoppable" - Motivational Video

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 21:22:00 +0000

Watch this, go out there and rock this world... and the other!

Complaining Is Literally Killing You & Making You Sick! (How To Stop It)

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 20:22:00 +0000

We all do it — you know, complain about people or situations in our life. We may even call it “venting” in an effort to disguise our complaining, but when it all boils down to it, they’re both the same behaviour.

On the surface, complaining may seem harmless — perhaps even helpful, as venting may make us feel better — but complaining can have serious physical and mental ramifications.

Society itself seems to encourage complaining — we complain about work and being overworked, we complain about lack of time and being too busy to enjoy life, we complain about politics (a favourite past- and present- time activity for many), we complain about family members and issues, we complain about lack of sleep and feeling exhausted, and we love to complain when we get sick— the list goes on and on….

Even if we ourselves don’t complain much (or so we think, though I hope this article makes you take a hard, honest look at your own habits, as it did for me), we all know of people who incessantly complain and how draining it is to be around these “negative Nellies.”

So, how does complaining affect us? From a brain perspective, “synapses that wire together fire together” — this is a basic premise of neuroscience. Every time you complain, you are reinforcing that wiring and making it easier to trigger it. Do it often enough and it can become your default setting. Negative thoughts beget more negative thoughts and you can easily fall into a cycle of negative thinking and chronic complaining.

In addition, misery loves company, so complainers tend to have friends who also complain, which further reinforces the pattern. Complainers also affect people around them. Ever find yourself sympathizing and sharing your own personal similar experience when someone complains to you about something specific? It can happen easily and unintentionally, even to the least complaining and most positive person. Sometimes this can lead to a long conversation comprising entirely of complaints, ie. focused on politics in a negative way or the fear and anger of what is going on in the world. Ask yourself, how do you feel afterwards?

Prolonged complaining leads to stress, and it’s well documented that prolonged stress makes us sick: weakening the immune system, raising blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, and causing a plethora of other ailments.

Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels (the stress hormone) interfere with learning and memory, lower immune function and bone density, promote weight gain and heart disease, and increase blood pressure and cholesterol. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase risk for depression and mental illness, and lower life expectancy.

How To Stop Complaining

Being human, however, we may need to vent once in a while, so here are some tips to help you avoid over-complaining:

Take time out to cool off and step back from whatever is bothering you so you can diffuse your emotions/anger. Try some deep breathing, go for a walk in nature, hit the gym, meditate, or do something fun or relaxing to calm yourself.

Write down what is bothering you — writing helps us to better understand why we are upset and can help us see the situation with a more balanced perspective.

Take responsibility for your part in the situation; don’t just blame the other person as the wrongdoer. What is the learning for you? What is this situation teaching you? Introspection is helpful for finding balance and being open to a solution or determining if it’s best to let it go at this time.

If you need to vent, let the Listener know ahead of time, so they can prepare themselves or let you know that now is not a good time.

Keep it short — this is very important, as we humans tend to go into stories when we moan and groan. It’s best to keep your share to under 2 minutes to avoid drama and dumping. Ask your Listener to intervene and gently yet firmly stop you if you go past the 2 minutes — you will both be thankful.

Remember that complaining affects your energy, mood, brain activity, and stress levels. If you need to vent, keep it short and sweet, for everyone’s sake — especially your own.

Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/04/04/why-complaining-is-literally-killing-you-making-you-sick-heres-how-to-stop/

DIY: Glowing Table Made of Wood

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 20:11:00 +0000

Want to make a cool looking Glowing table? Check Out this DIY and get your hands ready!

Instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/Glow-table/

Fruits & Vegetables Will Make You More Attractive

noreply@blogger.com (sorhac) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 19:58:00 +0000

Eating fruits and vegetables is good for our health. This much we know already, but can eating these foods also help with our overall appearance? Now let me be the first to say, I understand that ‘looks’ are subjective and shouldn’t be our main concern in life, but nonetheless what fresh produce can do for our overall skin appearance is not just healthy but can be visually pleasing as well.

A study conducted at the University of Nottingham had researchers get students to eat five extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day over a period of two months. Pictures were taken before and after the experiment. After the two months, they examined photos of themselves with different skin pigments and discovered that fruits and veggies provided the most attractive results. What causes the transformation in skin tone? Carotenoids.

Dr. Stephen explained: “Eating five more portions [of fruit and veg] ups your carotenoid levels giving your skin golden tones.” Carotenoids are antioxidants which soak up damaging compounds that the skin encounters in daily life. “In humans, the more red and yellow tones found in the skin, the more attractive the people were found to be,” he added.

In the image sequence above we see three faces of the same subject. The middle picture is of the subjects natural skin tone, on the left is her skin tone after tanning, and on the right is her skin tone after the two months of eating the extra fruits and veggies each day. We can see the clear difference between the three pictures, and how the diet based changes produced a natural glow along with the color change. While personally I’m a sucker for pale skin, there is certainly a beauty in the very natural glow that comes with healthy skin tones of any color.

Carotenoids are organic pigments that are found in the chloroplasts and chromoplasts of plants and some other photosynthetic organisms like algae, some bacteria, and some fungi. The big benefit there was once again the carotenoid antioxidants found in those types of veggies — particularly carrots. When we consume diets rich in carotenoids from natural foods, like fruits and vegetables, we are healthier and have lower mortality from a number of chronic illnesses.

It’s safe to say that a fruit and veggie-focused diet is great not only for your health, but can be for our looks, too. This is not the first time that those who eat great quantities of produce are seen to have a healthy glow to them. Of course vitamin D is great for us when we get it from the sun, but when you are looking for a bit of a tan to your skin and don’t have the time to sit out in the sun, try adding more fruits and veggies to your diet and see how it transforms.

If you are looking to add more fruits and veggies to your diet, allow the health benefits to be your number one reason to do so. This helps you feel the benefits and stay on top of caring for you body vs. trying to alter your appearance. Often times appearance motivated changes are not sustainable due to the lack of connection that we may have with our body and health. I always like to recommend eating organic produce as much as possible as it contains much less chemicals and more nutrients. Organic produce is also not GMO. If you are tight on cash and are looking to buy organic produce but can’t afford to go fully organic, check out this list of items to make sure you are buying organic where it matters most.

Source: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/01/eating-fruits-vegetables-can-make-you-more-attractive/