Srinivas Padma: Personal Musings on Life, Growth, and Connections

5 Essential Tips for Improving Your Writing Skills

2023-03-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

Writing is an essential skill that everyone should possess, regardless of their profession. Whether you are a student, a professional, or just someone who loves to express themselves through writing, there is always room for improvement. In this article, we will discuss five essential tips that will help you improve your writing skills and become a more effective writer.

Body:

Tip 1: Keep it Simple

One of the most common mistakes that writers make is using complicated vocabulary and sentence structures that can confuse the reader. To avoid this, it is essential to keep your writing simple and easy to understand. Use simple words and short sentences whenever possible. Avoid using jargon and technical terms unless it is necessary.

Tip 2: Be Concise

Another mistake that many writers make is using too many words to express their thoughts. This can make your writing feel bloated and difficult to read. To avoid this, always try to be as concise as possible. Use only the words that are necessary to convey your message.

Example:

Wordy: "In spite of the fact that he was aware of the fact that he was running out of time, he still continued to procrastinate."

Concise: "Although aware of his dwindling time, he continued to procrastinate."

Tip 3: Avoid Passive Voice

Passive voice is a common mistake that many writers make. Using passive voice can make your writing feel dull and lifeless. Instead, try to use active voice whenever possible. This will make your writing more engaging and dynamic.

Example:

Passive: "The ball was thrown by John."

Active: "John threw the ball."

Tip 4: Use Descriptive Language

Using descriptive language can make your writing more engaging and interesting to the reader. Instead of simply stating facts, try to paint a picture with your words. Use sensory language to describe what you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch. This will help your reader visualize your writing and connect with it on a deeper level.

Example:

Non-descriptive: "The sunset was beautiful."

Descriptive: "The sky was ablaze with shades of pink and orange, casting a warm glow over the horizon."

Tip 5: Edit, Edit, Edit

Editing is an essential part of the writing process. Always take the time to review and revise your work. Look for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and awkward phrasing. Read your writing out loud to check for clarity and flow. It is also helpful to have someone else read your work and provide feedback.

Conclusion:

Improving your writing skills takes time and effort, but with these five essential tips, you can become a more effective and engaging writer. Remember to keep your writing simple, be concise, use active voice, use descriptive language, and edit your work. With practice and dedication, you can take your writing to the next level.

The Significance of Nadis and Kundalini Chakras in Yoga Practice

2023-02-20T14:18:00.019-08:00

The concept of Kundalini refers to a powerful energy that is believed to lie dormant at the base of the spine, in the human body. This energy is often compared to a coiled serpent, waiting to be awakened. Kundalini Yoga is a practice that aims to awaken this energy and direct it toward spiritual transformation and enlightenment.

Kundalini can be awakened through yogic practices, such as specific postures, breathing techniques, and mantras. As the energy is awakened, it moves upwards through the body, piercing six chakras or energy centers, before reaching the crown of the head, where it is said to merge with pure consciousness, leading to enlightenment.

There are twenty Upanishads, which are dedicated to the theory and practice of Kundalini Yoga, making them the ultimate source for Kundalini teachings. However, the separate tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which is focused on gaining spiritual knowledge, is based on twelve other Upanishads.

The human body has an intricate network of Nadis, which are channels that run through the body and carry energy. There are three primary Nadis, including the Sushumna, Ida, and Pingala. The Sushumna rises up the spine from the base to the crown of the head, while the Ida and Pingala terminate at the left and right nostrils, respectively. In total, there are said to be 72,000 Nadis in the body.

The Sushumna Nadi is responsible for linking all seven chakras, which are often referred to as lotus flowers. Each chakra has a different number of petals, with the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine having four,

the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine has four,
the Svadhishtana chakra is located two finger-widths above the Muladhara it has six,
the Manipura chakra at the navel having ten,
the Anahata chakra at the heart has twelve,
the Vishuddha chakra at the throat has 16,
the Ajna chakra between the eyebrows has two,
and the Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head has 1000.

Now, let's take a closer look at each of the seven chakras and their significance in the practice of kundalini yoga. The chakras are often compared to lotus flowers, as they are turned upwards, symbolizing purity despite being located in impure vessels. The lotus flower grows from the bottom of a pond, yet remains untainted by its surroundings. Similarly, the chakras remain sanctified despite being located within the impure human body.

The Muladhara chakra is located at the base of the spine and is associated with the element of earth. It is symbolized by a red lotus with four petals and is also known as the root chakra. The mantra sound that corresponds to the root chakra is LAM.

The Muladhara chakra represents our foundation, stability, and connection to the earth. It is also associated with our survival instincts, and our ability to stay grounded and centered.

In kundalini yoga, the practice of Mulabandha (root lock) is used to activate and balance the Muladhara chakra. This practice involves contracting the muscles in the perineum, which is the area between the anus and the genitals.

The Svadhisthana chakra is located in the lower abdomen, just below the navel. It is associated with the element of water and is symbolized by an orange lotus with six petals. VAM is the sound of the sacral chakra.

The Svadhisthana chakra represents our creativity, passion, and sexual energy. It is also associated with our emotions, particularly our ability to feel and express pleasure.

In kundalini yoga, the practice of sat kriya is used to activate and balance the Svadhisthana chakra. This practice involves sitting in a kneeling position, with the arms extended above the head, and chanting the mantra "Sat Nam" while contracting and releasing the lower abdomen.

The Manipura chakra is located in the solar plexus, just above the navel. It is associated with the element of fire and is symbolized by a yellow lotus with ten petals. Ram is the mantra.

The Manipura chakra represents our willpower, self-confidence, and a sense of purpose. It is also associated with our digestive system and metabolism.

In kundalini yoga, the practice of nauli kriya is used to activate and balance the Manipura chakra. This practice involves isolating and rotating the abdominal muscles, creating a swirling motion in the abdomen.

The Anahata chakra is located in the center of the chest, at the level of the heart. It is associated with the element of air and is symbolized by a green lotus with twelve petals. YAM is the chant sound (mantra).

The Anahata chakra represents our capacity for love, compassion, and emotional balance. It is also associated with our respiratory system and our ability to breathe deeply.

In kundalini yoga, the practice of heart-centered meditation is used to activate and balance the Anahata chakra. This practice involves focusing on the heart center and repeating the mantra "Wahe Guru" while visualizing a green light expanding from the heart.

The Vishuddha chakra is located in the throat and is associated with the element of ether. It is symbolized by a blue lotus with sixteen petals and the mantra is HUM.

The Vishuddha chakra represents our ability to communicate, speak our truth, and express ourselves authentically. It is also associated with our thyroid gland and our ability to regulate our metabolism.

In kundalini yoga, the practice of chanting is used to activate and balance the Vishuddha chakra. This can involve chanting mantras such as "Om" or "Sat Nam" while focusing on the throat center.

The Ajna chakra, also known as the third eye chakra, It is located in the center of the forehead, between the eyebrows, and is associated with the color indigo or purple. The mantra is OM.

The Ajna chakra is considered the center of intuition, perception, and higher consciousness. It is said to govern our ability to see beyond the physical realm and tap into our inner wisdom and spiritual insight.

When the Ajna chakra is balanced and open, one may experience heightened intuition, mental clarity, and a deeper connection to their spiritual self. They may also have a strong sense of purpose and a clear vision for their life.

On the other hand, when the Ajna chakra is blocked or imbalanced, one may struggle with confusion, indecision, and a lack of clarity. They may also experience headaches, eye problems, or other physical symptoms in the head area.

To balance and activate the Ajna chakras, practices such as meditation, visualization, and pranayama (breathwork) can be helpful. Using essential oils, such as frankincense, sandalwood, or clary sage, can also aid in stimulating the third eye chakra.

The 7th chakra, also known as the Sahasrara chakra, is the final chakra in the Kundalini yoga system. It is located at the crown of the head, and its name comes from the Sanskrit words "Sahasra" meaning "thousand" and "ara" meaning "petal" or "spoke". The mantra is OM. The Sahasrara chakra is associated with pure consciousness and spiritual enlightenment.

The Sahasrara chakra is often depicted as a lotus flower with a thousand petals, each representing a different aspect of consciousness. It is often described as the seat of the soul, the gateway to the divine, and the point where individual consciousness merges with universal consciousness.

When the Kundalini energy rises up through the chakras and reaches the Sahasrara, it is said to bring about a state of enlightenment, or samadhi. This is the ultimate goal of Kundalini yoga, and it is said to bring about a profound sense of peace, bliss, and unity with the universe.

In terms of physical and emotional associations, the Sahasrara chakra is associated with the brain, the central nervous system, and the pineal gland. It is also associated with spiritual awareness, self-realization, and ego dissolution.

To activate and balance the Sahasrara chakra, one can practice various Kundalini yoga techniques, including meditation, chanting, pranayama (breathing exercises), and visualization. The use of certain mantras, such as the sound of "om", can also be beneficial in activating this chakra.

It is important to note that working with the Sahasrara chakra requires a strong foundation in the lower chakras, particularly the root chakra, which provides stability and grounding for the higher energies of the Sahasrara. Therefore, it is recommended that one work on balancing all of the chakras in order to achieve optimal results in the practice of Kundalini yoga.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

2023-02-20T11:30:00.006-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a panel discussion about the question that had been asked more frequently than any other.

"Why do bad things happen to good people, people who are kind, responsible, virtuous, and even saintly?"

The panel consisted of a Christian minister, a Roman Catholic nun, a rabbi, and a Hindu monk.

The Panel

The audience consisted of cancer patients and their families, all of whom found themselves confronting a life-threatening illness.

The Christian minister said, "We are all sinful by nature, no matter how pious we might be, and therefore, we're all subject to being punished for our sins."

The rabbi said, "God introduces trials and tribulations into our lives to test our faith and strengthen our devotion."

The nun said, "The suffering God gives us is a mystery that we can never fully understand."

When it was the Hindu monk's turn to speak, he faced a dilemma. The explanations offered by the other panelists were all based on the Bible and therefore familiar to the attendees, who were mostly of Christian and Jewish backgrounds. But the only explanation he could offer was based on the doctrine of karma, a Hindu teaching that would most likely be foreign to most of the audience. With this in mind, he tried to explain the doctrine of karma as simply and clearly as he could.

He said, "Hindus believe that the universe is cyclic; it has undergone countless cycles of creation and destruction prior to the birth of our current universe. And, in each cycle of creation, we've all been born again and again. In those prior lives, we've all committed many good deeds and many deeds that were harmful or morally wrong in one way or another.

According to the doctrine of karma, we receive the fruits or results of deeds we committed - not only in this life but in our past lives as well. We receive desirable results for our good deeds and undesirable results for our wrong deeds. Most of those results take place soon after each deed is committed, but some results might not have arisen before we die. In that case, those so-called unfructified results are carried over into our next life. And that's what's known as karma.

So, all of us are born with both good and bad karma from our prior lives. The good karma we're born with guarantees that we'll enjoy wonderful things in this life, things that we don't deserve based on our deeds in this lifetime. It's certainly true that we've all been blessed with many wonderful experiences that we haven't worked for and don't really deserve. Those are the results of good karma. On the other hand, the bad karma we're born with guarantees that we'll undergo suffering in this life, suffering that we really don't deserve based on our deeds in this lifetime. And HERE is the answer we're looking for. Every good person is born with some bad karma and that bad karma results in undeserved suffering. Similarly, every bad person was born with some good karma, and that good karma results in good things they don't deserve."

A woman in the audience, wearing a scarf over her hairless head, said that it didn't seem fair to be punished in this life for wrong deeds she committed in past lives, deeds that she didn't even remember. The Hindu monk agreed that it would indeed be unfair if she alone was punished for wrong deeds committed in past lives. But karma affects us all. "Being legally required to pay income tax each year would be unfair if you alone were taxed. But we're all subject to taxation, and that universality makes taxes fair. In the same way, we are all subject to suffering the consequences of wrongdoing committed in prior lives, even if paying for it isn't a punishment; it's simply the consequence of your actions.

Similarly, the suffering we undergo isn't a punishment from God; it's simply the result of our own past actions.

This is the explanation I offered to the audience, and many of them found it helpful.

Of course, not everyone will find the explanation of karma satisfying or convincing. But, in my experience, it provides a helpful framework for understanding the relationship between our past and present experiences, and it helps us to move beyond the question of why bad things happen to good people.

By recognizing that we are all subject to the consequences of our past actions, we can begin to take responsibility for our own lives and actions and work towards creating a better future for ourselves and those around us.

As the panel discussion came to a close, a young girl raised her hand and asked, "What can we do to create good karma?"

Hindu Monk smiled and told her that by doing good deeds, showing kindness and compassion to others, and working to alleviate the suffering of those around us, we can create positive karma that will help us in this life and in the lives to come.

And with that, the panel discussion came to an end, leaving Hindu Monk with a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to share his beliefs and insights with such a receptive and engaged audience.

Source: https://arshabodha.org/teachings/

Tips for conversing in Spanish while traveling

2022-12-19T08:37:00.002-08:00

Start by learning some basic phrases and vocabulary in Spanish. Some useful phrases to know include:

"Hola" (hello),
"Gracias" (thank you),
"Por favor" (please),
"Perdón" (excuse me), and
"¿Hablas inglés?" (do you speak English?).

Practice your pronunciation. One of the most important things to do when learning a new language is to practice your pronunciation. Listen to native speakers and try to imitate their sounds and intonation.
Use simple, clear language. When speaking with people in Spanish, try to use simple, clear language. Avoid using idioms or colloquial expressions that may be unfamiliar to the listener.
Be patient and understanding. Remember that not everyone you meet while traveling will speak fluent English, and it may take some time to communicate effectively in Spanish. Be patient and understanding, and try to be as clear as possible when speaking and listening.
Use body language and gestures to help communicate. Body language and gestures can be a great way to communicate when words fail you. Use facial expressions, hand gestures, and other nonverbal cues to help convey your meaning.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are having trouble communicating, don't be afraid to ask someone for help. Often, people are more than happy to assist you, and they may even appreciate the opportunity to practice their English.

What is Corona Virus? what are the symptoms?

2020-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

What Is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses were first identified in the 1960s, they get their name from their crown-like shape. Sometimes, but not often, a coronavirus can infect both animals and humans.

Most coronaviruses spread the same way other cold-causing viruses do: through infected people coughing and sneezing, by touching an infected person's hands or face, or by touching things such as doorknobs that infected people have touched.

Coronaviruses cause diseases in mammals and birds that include diarrhea in cows and pigs, and upper respiratory disease in chickens. In humans, the virus causes rare but potentially lethal respiratory infections.

Cases of the virus have been detected around China, including Hong Kong and Macao, and other countries, including Japan, South Korea, the United States and Thailand. Singapore and Vietnam are the latest to join the list.

The symptoms of most coronaviruses are similar to any other upper respiratory infection, including runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and sometimes a fever. In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.

You could get lab tests, including nose and throat cultures and blood work, to find out whether your cold was caused by a coronavirus
At least 17 deaths have been confirmed in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province in China, with more than 630 people infected.

What to Do About Coronavirus?

There is no vaccine for coronavirus. To help prevent a coronavirus infection, do the same things you do to avoid the common cold:

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Keep your hands and fingers away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Avoid close contact with people who are infected.

You treat a coronavirus infection the same way you treat a cold:

Get plenty of rest.
Drink fluids.
Take over-the-counter medicine for a sore throat and fever. But don't give aspirin to children or teens younger than 19; use ibuprofen or acetaminophen instead.

A humidifier or steamy shower can also help ease a sore and scratchy throat.

Source: https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus#2

Staff members check the body temperatures of passengers arriving by train at Hangzhou Railway Station from Wuhan, China, on Thursday. (China Daily/Reuters)

Authorities initially said that the virus, which began in a Wuhan food market selling exotic animals for consumption, was mild and could not be transmitted between humans. But that changed this week when the number of people infected by the virus, which has an incubation period as long as 14 days, began to rise rapidly.

The announcement Thursday came as authorities expanded travel restrictions imposed on Wuhan to surrounding municipalities, shutting down travel networks and attempting to quarantine about 25 million people — more than the population of Florida.

“A bigger outbreak is certain,” said Guan Yi, a virologist who helped identify severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. He estimated — “conservatively,” he said — that this outbreak could be 10 times bigger than the SARS epidemic because that virus was transmitted by only a few “super spreaders” in a more defined part of the country.

A post from Wuhan Railway saying that 300,000 people traveled by train out of Wuhan on Wednesday, headed to every corner of the country, was also quickly deleted.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/coronavirus-china-wuhan-latest/2020/01/23/2dc947a8-3d45-11ea-afe2-090eb37b60b1_story.html

What is Recession?

2019-08-29T11:56:00.006-07:00

Fear sells eyeballs

In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending.

Let's understand some commonly used keywords:

Correction

A market correction refers to a price decline of at least 10% of any security or market index following a temporary upswing in market prices.

Correction: 10% Decline

Bear Market

During a bear market, market sentiment is negative as investors are beginning to move their money out of equities and into fixed-income securities, as they wait for a positive move in the stock market.

Bear Market: 20% Decline

Crash

A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a significant cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic as much as by underlying economic factors. They often follow speculative stock market bubbles.

Crash: 35-60% Decline

Recession

In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending

Recession: 6 Months Economic Decline

Depression

In economics, a depression is a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in one or more economies. It is a more severe economic downturn than a recession, which is a slowdown in economic activity over the course of a normal business cycle.
A Recession lasting 2 years and decline in GOP by 10%

Black Swan

A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the practice of explaining widespread failure to predict them as simple folly in hindsight.

Difficulty to predict & Extreme Consequences

Since 1926 to today, 74% percentage of the market has been in the positive

Maps for Children

2019-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Kid's World Map

Click here for High Resolution Image

Kid's USA Map

Click here for High Resolution Image

Kids Europe Map

Click here for High Resolution Image

Kids Africa Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Kid's Canada Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Kid's New York Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Kid's Germany Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Kid's Ireland Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

North America in Dinosaur Age Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Kid's United Kingdom Map

Click here for High Resolution Map

Car cleaning tricks save bucks

2017-08-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

USE A GUMMY GEL CLEANER

This gummy cleaner picks up dust and dirt in hard to reach places such as car vents, dashes, etc. Some of these are equipped with disinfectant and don’t leave a sticky residue. The trick to these cleaners is that you’ll want to keep your hands dry while using them, to maintain ultimate stickiness and effectiveness. While store-bought “cleaning slimes” are available, you can make your own at home and save money. Start with a ½ cup of liquid starch, a 4 oz bottle of Elmer’s glue, and a ¼ cup of water to create the slime. You’ll soon have a pliable slime that can get in the nooks, crannies and crevices of your interior.

GET A GREAT-SMELLING CAR

Does your car’s odor leave something to be desired? Pets, food, and spills can lead to bad odors in your car, but it’s easy to restore your car to a great scent. Sprinkle your car seats with baking soda, and let it sit for several hours, then vacuum clean. The odor-busting properties of the baking soda will neutralize the odor, and leave you with fresh-smelling car seats. Next, keep up with odors with a natural air freshener. You can use a handful of scented wax cubes and place them in a small jar after poking holes in the lid. The heat inside the

car will cause the cubes to melt, making it smell savory in your vehicle. Drop a bit of essential oil on a clothespin then attach to your air vent if you don’t have any wax cubes handy.

GET CRUMBS AND DEBRIS OUT OF NOOKS AND CRANNIES

It seems like even if we’re careful, crumbs just get everywhere in our cars, especially if we often have a snack or meal on the go. One of the worst parts about crumbs is how hard it can be to remove them from a stubborn spot. Take an old used toothbrush or a flat head screwdriver covered with a cloth, and use it to gently remove the crumbs. Be sure you vacuum the crumbs and debris up.

GET YOUR FLOOR MATS CLEAN AGAIN

Your car’s floor mats see a lot of wear and tear each time you drive or have passengers in your vehicle, and all that use can lead to some filthy mats. Don’t use a car detailer to clean the floor mats as part of a package deal, because you can do the same job at home. Fabric-covered mats may be washed in the washing machine. First apply a stain remover to help loosen any tough stains, then wash them on a gentle cycle with detergent; be sure you choose “gentle” to protect your washer and only do this with a front-loading washer.

MAKE YOUR TIRES AND RIMS SPARKLE NATURALLY

Driving through muddy conditions makes for mud on your car, and one of the worst places that mud accumulates is the tires. Even everyday dirt, grass, debris and bugs can mar your rims or tires, and make them look unsightly. Clean your tires and rims naturally with a DIY green cleaner you can make at home. You’ll need ½ cup of baking soda, two cups of warm water and 1 tablespoon of Dawn (or another brand) dish soap. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl then dip your sponge or towel into the solution. Spray your hubcaps and tires with water to make it easier to lather, then gently scrub. Rinse starting from the top down, then dry and you’re done.

CLEAN YOUR CAR’S VINYL AND LEATHER IN A SNAP

It seems like everything we eat has the ability to stick to the car, especially if you have vinyl or leather seats and detailing in your vehicle. Ice cream, spills, candy and chocolate can linger on vinyl or leather, but luckily, it’s easy to clean up. One method is to use a wet Magic Eraser and gently scrub the soiled or scrubbed spots. Just be sure you test it on a hidden spot to make sure it won’t harm your interior. The next method is to mix 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup white vinegar in a small container. You’ll rub this gently into your leather seats, then wipe clean with a rag. This will condition and disinfect your leather and keep it in great shape for years to come.clean you

SHINE YOUR HEADLIGHTS UP IN MINUTES

Vehicle headlights that are clouded over and dingy can make it harder to see for other drivers to see your car on the road, and it doesn’t look that pretty either. You can shine up your headlight covers in minutes with pantyhose and a non-gel toothpaste. The toothpaste is a gentle abrasive, and will remove the build-up off the cover. Substitute a microfiber cloth if you don’t have any pantyhose. The best toothpaste to get is the kind with baking soda or whitening agents, however, if your car’s headlight covers have a special tint, you may need a professional to get the job done.

CLEAN YOUR AIR VENTS QUICKLY

Do you like dusty air vents in your car? No one does, and when the air is on, all of those dust particles can get in your face and eyes. Just head to the hobby store or dollar store and grab a small foam paintbrush, the kind you would use for painting trim. Hold a vacuum hose up to your vents, then brush the dust away toward the vacuum, and suck it up. Enjoy your dust-free vents.

GET CLEAN WINDOWS WITH Newspaper

If you want a streak-free quick trick for shiny windows, look no further than your recycling bin. Newspaper is an old-tried and true trick for clean windows, and not only does it work on your homes’ windows, but it’s also great for your car windows — if you don’t have tinted windows. Take your favorite window clean and spray on the windows, then ball up your newspaper and wipe the windows clean.

GET BUGS OFF YOUR CAR WITH A DRYER SHEETCertain areas of the country are popular times for bugs, and that means that the bugs have a higher likelihood of ending up on your car. Squashed bugs not only look unsightly, they can also have a damaging effect on your car’s paint, so you need to remove them as soon as you see them. Take your spray bottle and fill it with water then wet the area where the bugs are located. Next, take a dryer sheet and scrub the area gently until the bug is removed, then apply your wax removed if necessary. If you live in an area that’s known for “love bug season” or you do a lot of highway drives, keep a few dryer sheets folded up in your glove compartment to do quick removal anywhere.

x

GIVE LINT THE BRUSH-OFF

Vehicle dashboards can accumulate dust, especially if your car sits in the sun often, or you don’t wipe it down regularly. The rest of the car can also attract dust, especially vinyl. If you need to wipe vinyl clean, just grab a coffee filter, which is a gentle but powerful duster. The coffee filters are made with lint-free features, so the dust will adhere to the filter, and you can use the filter throughout all of the parts of your car. Just remember to throw away the filter when you’re done, because you don’t want to let that debris and dust get into your coffee!

SCRUB UPHOLSTERED SEATS WITH A DIY CLEANER

Light-colored upholstery in your car looks great until stains start to build up, then it’s time to take it to the detailer. Not so fast, because you probably have all of the ingredients you need to make an easy DIY seat cleaner. First, vacuum your seats thoroughly to remove any and all crumbs so it will be easier to scrub. Next mix 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of club soda, ½ cup of Dawn dish liquid in a spray bottle. Shake up the bottle then spray your seats liberally. After spraying the seats, let them set for 5-15 minutes. Next grab a scrub brush and scrub in circles over the stains, then let it dry overnight. If you have one available, use a shop vac or steam cleaner to go over the area with just water.

KEEP THE CAR INTERIOR CLEAN WITH BABY WIPES

It’s time to head to the dollar store again, this time for a pack of baby wipes. The baby wipes are similar to the DIY or store-bought wipes, and are gentle on most car interiors. You can use a baby wipe to scrub down the steering wheel, dashboard and other surfaces. Just test them in a small spot to make sure that it won’t damage the interior. Baby wipes can be kept in the glove compartment and are perfect to wipe away makeup marks and other grime. If they’re gentle enough for babies, they’re gentle enough for your car.

20 Awesome iOS 11 features

2017-07-27T14:03:00.001-07:00

iOS 11 sets a new standard for what is already the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. It makes iPhone better than before. It makes iPad more capable than ever. And now it opens up both to amazing possibilities for augmented reality in games and apps. With iOS 11, iPhone and iPad are the most powerful, personal, and intelligent devices they’ve ever been.

iOS 11 makes iPhone and iPad so smart, they learn from you. So capable, they help you in more powerful and personal ways. And so in tune with you, they do things for you before you even ask.

How to install iOS 11.0 beta software on your iPhone:
https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/

How to install or uninstall iOS beta software from your iPhone:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203282

Supports: upto iPhone 5s
Time taken to install iOS 11 beta: 1 hr

Apple Pay. Pay friends with a message.

iOS 11 brings the convenience of Apple Pay to Messages. Now sending money to friends — and receiving it — is as simple as a conversation.

Person to Person

Use Apple Pay with your credit or debit card to send money instantly and securely, right in Messages. You can request and receive money just as easily.3 When you get paid, your money is securely kept in Apple Pay Cash and instantly available for you to send to someone or spend with Apple Pay in stores, in apps, and on the web, or transfer to your bank

Apple Pay Cash

When you get paid, your money is securely kept in Apple Pay Cash and instantly available for you to send to someone or spend with Apple Pay in stores, in apps, and on the web, or transfer to your bank account.

Live Photos. Livelier than ever.

Now your Live Photos can be even more expressive, creative, and just plain fun.

Loop

Turn a Live Photo you love into a fun video loop. Choose an image yourself, or let Photos suggest which ones would make great loops.

Bounce

Turn a Live Photo you love into a fun video loop. Choose an image yourself, or let Photos suggest which ones would m

Long Exposure

Capture the elements of time and movement. Create a beautiful effect that used to be possible only with a DSLR camera. Fireworks become bright streaks across the night sky. A waterfall, a magical blur.

Camera.

See your photos in a whole new light. New professional-quality filters take the camera on iPhone to another level. Portrait photos are more expressive. Skin tones more natural. There are even filters for applying classic looks to your portraiture photography. Next-generation compression technology lets you take new photos with the same quality as before at half the file size.

The all-new App Store.

The App Store has been redesigned from the ground up to help you discover new apps and games you can’t live without. You’ll see daily stories by experts, a dedicated Games tab, lists for all kinds of apps, and much more. It’s the biggest thing to come to the App Store since apps.

Messages.

Get to apps with fewer taps. Now it’s even easier to get to all the fun. Share stickers, emoji, and games with your friends just by swiping across the totally redesigned app drawer. All the goodies, less effort.

Siri.

Naturally, more helpful. iOS 11 makes the world’s most popular intelligent assistant even more helpful. Through advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence, Siri is more expressive, with a new, more natural voice.

Translation

Ask Siri in English how to say something in Chinese, Spanish, French, German, or Italian, and Siri will translate the phrase.5 Like your hotel room in Rome? Tell your host. “È fantastico!”

Personal DJ

Apple Music knows your tastes.
So when you tell Siri to play some music, you’ll hear a song you love. Or a song you’re going to love. Siri can also answer music trivia questions like “Who’s the drummer in this song?”

Smarter about you. Smarter for you.

Siri has always been more than a voice. With iOS 11, Siri is even more helpful. It learns from you and is able to anticipate what you want and make suggestions before you even ask. And everything about you is encrypted end-to-end, so your personal information remains private.

News

As Siri learns which topics you’re interested in, they’ll be suggested in News — making News even better at finding stories that matter to you.

QuickType

As you type, Siri can suggest names of movies, places — anything you’ve recently viewed. If you tell a friend you’re on your way, Siri can even suggest your estimated arrival time.

Safari

Siri now suggests searches in Safari based on what you were just reading. And when you confirm an appointment or a flight on a travel website, Siri asks if you want to add it to your calendar.

Apple Music.

Discover music with a little help from your friends. Now your friends can help you discover new songs and artists.6 Each of you can have your own profile on Apple Music, where you can see playlists they’ve shared as well as albums and stations they listen to often.

AirPlay 2.

Home, sweet-sounding home. With the new AirPlay 2, you can control your home audio system and the speakers throughout your house.7 You can play a song in the living room and your kitchen at the same time. Adjust the volume in any room. Or have your music start instantly on all your speakers — in sync with one another.

Control Center.

Make it your own. iOS 11 lets you customize the redesigned Control Center so you can change the settings for the things you do most. Want to be ready when inspiration hits? Add a Voice Memos control. Want to dim the lights in the dining room with a tap? Add Home controls. Or use 3D Touch in Control Center to unlock even more commands.

Lock screen.

All your notifications in one handy place. The Lock screen is even more powerful. To get to all your notifications, just pull it down like a cover sheet from the top of the screen. At a glance, you can see both your recent and missed notifications in one place.

Do Not Disturb.

When you’re driving, just drive. iPhone can now sense when you might be driving and prevent you from being distracted by calls, text messages, and notifications. People trying to reach you can automatically be notified that you’re driving.

Maps.

Stay on course. Indoors and out. Whether you’re going on a new adventure or just searching for the nearest coffee shop, Maps makes all your journeys smoother. From indoor maps to lane guidance arrows, it’s easier than ever to get around.

Indoor Maps

See detailed maps of hundreds of major airports and shopping centers around the world. Find out which restaurants are past security at the airport or which stores are on level three of the mall.

Lane Guidance

Maps now helps you avoid missing a turn or an exit by showing you which lane you should be in when you’re navigating. You can also see the speed limit of the road you’re on.

News.

Read and watch all about it. News becomes even more personal, showing top stories that are more relevant to you. Siri learns what’s important to you and suggests stories you might like. And our editors choose a different topic every day for you to explore in a new tab called Spotlight. They also craft a daily selection of the best videos for you to see in Today View.

QuickType keyboard.

Type with one hand tied behind your back. Holding a coffee in one hand and your iPhone in the other? Simply touch and hold the emoji key, select one-handed typing, and the keys will instantly move closer to your thumb.

Automatic Setup.

Get off to a quick start. Just hold your new iPhone or iPad near an iOS device and many of your personal settings, preferences, and iCloud Keychain passwords are quickly and securely imported. Or in technical terms, easy peasy.

7 day Yellowstone National Park from San Francisco

2017-07-17T17:13:00.002-07:00

Days: 7 days 6 Nights

Dates: 1 July 2017 to 7 July 2017

Route: Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, Reno(1 night), Twin Falls, Idaho Falls(1 night), Yellowstone(3 nights), Grand Teton National Park, Idaho Falls(1 night), and Bay Area.

Miles: 2800

Cost for 6: 2000$ (Fuel, Hotel, Food)

July: Avg. High Temperature 79.6 F, Avg. Low Temperature 46.7 F. The busiest month in Yellowstone. Expect traffic and lots of people. Expect lines at the park's entrances, especially the West Entrance.

Allow 2-3 days for sightseeing; The Park’s Grand Loop is shaped like a figure 8, divided into the Upper Loop and Lower Loop. Remember to Start Early, Finish Late. First of all, be disciplined about starting early. Don’t waste daylight hours. And stay out until there is no more light

And allow at least 3-6 days to fully enjoy the drive through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and more time if you plan on enjoying some of the hike

Yellowstone National Park main attractions

· Mammoth Hot springs

· Norris Geyser Basin

· Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin

· West Thumb

· Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

· Lower and Midway Geyser Basin

· Mud Volcano and Sulphur Cauldron

· Wildlife

I am listing the attractions in order visited:

After entering the park from West Entrance, it takes about 25 minutes to drive from the gate that is beside the town before you reach the Grand Loop.

Madison River

The Madison Region will be the first area of the park you experience. The scenic West Entrance Road follows the Madison River through valleys rich with wildlife and waterfowl until meeting up with the Grand Loop Road at Madison Junction. The Madison Region is named for the Madison River which begins in the park at Madison Junction where the Gibbon and Firehole Rivers meet.

Wildlife

Throughout the Park we should always be watching around us for wildlife, especially in grassy meadows. Opportunity for spotting wildlife is always best in the early morning or at sunset - but you can be lucky anytime.

The Firehole Canyon Drive is a hidden gem amongst the pine trees. This 2-mile one-way drive will take you through the beautiful canyon where the Firehole River flows, past Firehole Falls, and up to a swimming area the whole family can enjoy. Firehole Falls is a 40-foot waterfall carving its way into the hard rhyolitic rock that the canyon is made of. There is a small parking area available near the falls. Further down the drive there is the Firehole River swimming area within the canyon. Parking is available along the road and sets of stairs will lead you down to the swimming hole. This is a great place to have fun and cool off on a warm summer day.

Fountain Flat Drive is the access point for many different activities. At the front of the drive is the Nez Perce Picnic area, situated at the confluence of the Firehole River and Nez Perce Creek. The picnic area is closed between 11p.m. and 6a.m. At the end of the mile-long Fountain Flat Drive is the trailhead for the Fountain Freight Road, a wide gravel path 3.9 miles long (7.8 miles round trip). Hiking as well as biking are allowed on the Fountain Flat Road where travelers will see the Ojo Caliente Springs just 0.3 of a mile down the path, and views that you can't see from the road suddenly appear as you make your way farther down the trail. Keep an eye out for the elk and bison that frequently travel through the meadows of Fountain Flat Drive in the spring.

Fountain Paint pot (Allow approx. 30-40 minutes for this activity)

The Fountain Paint Pot area is very active and displays all four types of thermal features that are found in Yellowstone. On your walk around this half-mile boardwalk you can encounter hot springs, mud pots, geysers, and fumaroles. Only a few short minutes after you begin your walk, you will be at the Fountain Paint Pots. The paint pots might be one of Yellowstone's weirdest and funniest thermal features. Plopping and bubbling as gasses escape the Earth, the Fountain Paint Pots will be like nothing you've ever seen. The dancing bubbles are at their most active state in the spring, when the melting snow provides abundant water. As the summer sun heats up, the mud gets drier and thicker. You are almost guaranteed a show by Clepsydra Geyser as it erupts almost constantly since the earthquake.

Lower & Midway Geyser Basin

The Lower Basin geysers and thermal features are best viewed by driving on the short side trip along Fire hole Lake Road. This is the area where we find the spectacular Great Fountain Geyser. Though it is the only predicted geyser outside the Upper Basin, the window for prediction is roughly 2 hours. But if you are patient, the reward is outstanding. There are other young and old geysers on this drive and some impressive hot springs.

Midway has relatively fewer features than the other basins, but what amazing sights they are. By far the most colorful of the hot springs in Yellowstone is the Grand Prismatic Spring, the third largest in the world. We'll suggest a nearby hike that gets you to an elevated view above the giant spring where you'll get a better view of the colors, but even down at spring level, the scene is amazing.

Excelsior Geyser used to put on a great show, it was once the world's biggest geyser, and until an earthquake damaged it plumbing so it doesn't erupt anymore. But in its current state it’s an impressing hot pool and throws out an incredible volume of boiling water into the Fire hole River.

The Turquoise Pool also provides great color for impressive photos.

Biscuit Basin (Allow approx. 20-30 min.)

Biscuit Basin is only a few miles north of Old Faithful Village on the Grand Loop Road. A 1/4 mile boardwalk will guide you through Biscuit Basin which got its name from the biscuit-like deposits that once surrounded the bright blue water of Sapphire Pool. In 1959, Sapphire Pool began erupting violently as a result of the Hebgan Lake earthquake which measured a magnitude 7.5 on the Richter Scale over 20 miles away to the northwest. Sapphire's violent eruptions destroyed most of these biscuit-like features that it was known for. Although the "biscuits" are not as prominent as they were in the past, this amazingly blue pool is still worth a visit, as are the other thermal features in Biscuit Basin.

Black Sand Basin (Allow approx. 20-30 min.)

Black Sand Basin is located less than one mile north of Old Fatihful Village on the Grand Loop Road. It sets at the base of a wall of rhyolite which was part of a lava flow during one of Yellowstone's volcanic eruptions and is the smallest of the geyser basin boardwalks in the Old Faithful area, with the boardwalk only being about 1/4 mile in length. The name "Black Sand" comes from the crushed Obsidian (or volcanic glass) that is present around the geyser basin. The frequent eruptions of Cliff Geyser and the colorful waters of the Sunset Lake thermal feature are a couple of the natural wonders you will see at the small but spectacular Black Sand Basin.

Old Faithful Upper Geyser Basin

Old Faithful is without a doubt the most famous in the entire Park - and with good reason. Since we have been watching it, it’s erupted spectacularly every 60 - 90 minutes or so. It’s the most regular and predictable geyser in the Park.

At least a 1/2-day is recommended for the Upper Geyser Basin. There are so many things to see if you are willing to walk a couple of miles on easy trails. Go as far as the Morning Glory Pools, explore the boardwalks with so many hot springs, small and large geysers and amazing formations - just too many to suggest them all.

It’s best to call in to the visitor center to see the prediction times for the geysers that follow a semi-reliable schedule. Then plan how you explore the trails, so you arrive at the different geysers with the best opportunity to see some of the bigger eruptions.

This is also home to the most services in the Park and you must call in to at least take a look at the lobby of the Old Faithful Inn.

Kepler Cascades (Allow approx. 5-10 minutes for this activity)

The Kepler Cascades flow rapidly through a rocky canyon just south of Old Faithful Village, drawing in crowds of visitors in a region mostly dominated by geysers and hot springs. With a height between 100 and 150 feet, Kepler Cascades is an easily accessible waterfall on your way to or from Old Faithful Village. A large pullout is available for parking where a very short walk leads you to a wooden patio on the canyon's edge where this large cascade of the Firehole River becomes visible, just waiting to be photographed.

Craig pass, at 8,262 feet on the Continental Divide, is about eight miles east of Old Faithful on the Grand Loop Road.

West Thumb Geyser Basin

West thumb sits in the unique position of being on the edge of a caldera within a larger caldera. Situated on the edge of Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb is curious with hot pools and thermal features rising up right beside the cold water lake and some thermal cones rise right out of the lake itself.

The short loop walk is surprisingly good value, with many different thermal features close together. Elk and deer are often seen there.

Even if you arrive at West Thumb after seeing Old Faithful and the bigger geyser basins, West Thumb is still an excellent stop, beautifully back dropped by the lake and distant mountain ranges.

Bridge Bay

The Bridge Bay Marina is your source and main access point for a fun-filled time out on Yellowstone Lake. Hop aboard the Lake Queen II for an hour long scenic cruise on Yellowstone Lake. Scenic trips head out on the lake several times a day during the summer, making it easier to include this activity into Your Yellowstone Vacation. For a more personal sightseeing excursion on the lake, rowboats and boats with small outboard motors can be rented by the hour at the marina on a first-come, first-served basis.

Lake village

Yellowstone Lake is the largest alpine lake in North America which means Yellowstone Lake is the biggest lake above 7,000 feet on the continent. With shoreline geyser basins, under water thermal features, and 141 miles of shoreline, this lake is truly one of a kind. Sections of the East Entrance Road and the road from Fishing Bridge Junction to West Thumb Junction offer amazing views of the lake and surrounding mountain ranges.

Lodging at Lake Lodge Cabins
The natural look of the log cabin style Lake Lodge inspires a real western feeling. The Lake Lodge plays host to over 100 cabins in this back region of the Lake Area. The cabins have a "western" feel as well. Here, you never know when a little yellow-bellied marmot or a huge bison will come wandering through to say hello. The Lodge sports a large porch furnished with a couple dozen rocking chairs and a view of Yellowstone Lake to satisfy any vacationer.

Day 2.

Fishing Bridge

Located on the banks of the serene Yellowstone Lake, the Fishing Bridge, Visitor Center and Museum is a wonderful place to make a pit stop when you're out and about in the Lake Area.

LeHardys Rapids (Allow approx. 20-30 min.)

LeHardy's Rapids is a part of the Yellowstone River where the river bed drops a little bit, throwing the water against large rocks creating turbulent white water. This is also considered to be the geological boundary of Yellowstone Lake. There are two pullouts from which you can access the rapids, both will get you to the rapids via a short trail or boardwalk. The lower pullout also offers a small picnic area with two tables right along side the Yellowstone River. The river is pretty wide here and the rapids are most impressive in late spring to early summer when the snowmelt runoff is at its highest. If you are here in late June and July, you will likely see native Cutthroat Trout leaping into the air, working their way up the rapids during their spawning run.

Mud Volcano & Sulphur Cauldron

At the Mud Volcano and Sulphur Cauldron areas, we will even find a thermal feature in the car park!

Sulphur Cauldron is one of Yellowstone’s most acidic features. Its PH is 1-2 so that makes it about as strong as battery acid. Staring down into the boiling and steaming mud is mesmerizing and even a little scary, but don't worry, you'll be safe.

When the Mud Volcano was first documented by the Washburn Expedition in 1870, it had a cone of hardened mud over its opening. Just 2 years later when revisited, it looked like it does today, so some type of steam explosion must have ripped the old cone apart. The boiling mud is like an endless self-feeding cycle. Dragons Mouth Spring is another dirty, boiling, steaming thermal feature to observe. If you love seeing dirty, scary hot springs – you’ll love it here.

Bison are common in this area, so keep an eye out and your camera ready.

Drive through Hayden Valley

The Grand Loop Road takes you through five miles of Hayden Valley, a wildlife viewing hot spot in Yellowstone, where sagebrush dominates the hillsides and large herds of bison roam wild across its expanse. Hayden Valley is another favorite spot for wolf watchers to set up their spotting scopes in hopes to catch these amazing predators in action. Grizzly bears, coyotes, bison and elk are also often seen from the road as they wander through the valley. There are plenty of photo opportunities to get a quick snapshot of wildlife, or an amazing landscape photo of the mountains from the Washburn Mountain Range to the north of Hayden Valley.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

This is the single location that will consume the most amount of time during your day. Expect to spend a few hours viewing the magnificent Upper and Lower Falls from several viewpoints on both the South Rim and North Rim drives. Though it might sound repetitious, each of the six major viewpoints provides a different perspective and I dare you not to take photos from each one. If you are fit, take on Uncle Toms Trail for a less crowded viewpoint and a quick workout. You’ll see what I mean by quick workout!

Incredible forces have carved a 20 mile, 120-foot deep canyon along the path of the Yellowstone

River. And thermal effects have been at work here too, creating 2 magnificent waterfalls inside the canyon.

There are 2 aspects to see both the Upper and Lower Falls from, with multiple viewpoints for each. 2 short side trips provide access to the North and South Rims of the canyon. Most of the viewpoints are situated right next to car parks and require no physical effort to enjoy. If you are willing to do some short hikes, you can see the views from different angles, and with less people sharing your experience.

Artist Point is the most famous view of the larger Lower Falls. And if you need a work out to stretch out your legs after too much driving - Uncle Tom's Trail requires 300 stairs down, and then back up again, but gets you close to the power of the falls.

Dunraven Pass

(8,859 feet) is the highest road pass in Yellowstone National Park, and because of this, it can get snow at any time of year- even summer. It's always the first to close during a regional snow storm, and it is always the first road to close in the fall as Yellowstone Park winds down for the winter. Great place to see grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, wildflowers, and a host of other amazing wildlife.

Chittenden Road
This road spurs off of Dunraven Pass, the highest road in the park, and takes you even higher to a point where the views are priceless. The Chittenden Road is a two-way dirt road about a mile and a half long. There is a big parking area where the road stops, at which point you can continue the journey to the peak of Mt. Washburn on foot via a 2.8-mile (5.6 round trip) hiking trail.

Tower fall

Driving north away from Canyon Village we drive to almost 9000 feet elevation through Dunraven Pass on route to the Tower Roosevelt area. Keep a close eye out for wildlife in this

section, especially looking down into the beautiful Antelope Valley. The “Tower” in the Tower Roosevelt area is Tower Falls

An easy 150-yard paved trail from the parking lot at the Tower General Store will get you to Tower Fall. Tower Fall is the point where Tower Creek drops 132 feet over a rocky ledge with some interesting and unique looking rock formations on the cliffs around it. Your adventure at Tower doesn't have to stop at the viewpoint platform. A 3/4-mile trail goes down to the confluence where Tower Creek meets the Yellowstone River. The hike down can be steep in some places and may be a somewhat strenuous climb on the way back up. Before or after viewing the falls, stop into the Tower General Store, operated by the Delaware North Company, for a souvenir or a bite to eat.

Calcite Springs Viewpoint

Within 5 minutes of leaving Tower Falls it’s worth making another 10-minute stop to view the downstream end of the canyon at the Calcite Springs viewpoint. Across the canyon, and along the roadside, you will be impressed a fantastic display of columnar basalt.

Tower Roosevelt to Mammoth Hot springs

From Tower Roosevelt, with limited time we should drive directly to Mammoth Hot springs, with no must-do stops. But no get the wrong idea, the landscape as we drive through is stunning and extremely wildlife friendly. Always be scanning the wide-open grassy meadows and gentle streams are perfect places to spot large animals.

Petrified Tree

Trying to fathom that something can be tens of millions of years old is hard to do. Well, that is how old the Petrified Tree is. This now solid rock was once a giant redwood tree surrounded by a forest of trees just like it. During violent volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, mudflows and volcanic deposits rapidly filled the open pores of the tree, solidifying it into the rocky trunk that you see today.

Undine Falls (Allow approx. 5-10 minutes for this activity)

Out of the hundreds of waterfalls in Yellowstone, only a handful of them can be seen from the road. Undine Falls is a section of Lava Creek that pours 60 feet over the edge of tough basaltic rock into a small canyon down below. Undine falls is a two-tiered waterfall and should be most spectacular in the springtime when the water from the snowmelt gives the falls more water to pour over its brink.

Rustic Falls (Allow approx.5 minutes for this activity)

Rustic Falls is a 47-foot high plunge of Glen Creek just south of Mammoth Village. This fanning waterfall plummets into a ravine between reddish yellow rock walls just off to the side of the road in a scenic area known as Golden Gate. Two roadside pullouts make it possible to view the falls; one just downstream from the falls, which gives you a head-on view, the other right at the top of the falls providing another excellent photo opportunity.

Mammoth hot springs

Mammoth Hot springs was the original entrance to the National Park and is the site of much of the Park's original and attractive buildings.

The hot springs are roughly divided into two terraces, Upper and Lower. The terraces are

constantly changing and have built an impressive variety of terraces, cascading pools, and sometimes colorful mounds, as underground limestone has been dissolved by the boiling hot water, and then deposited above the surface.

Liberty Cap is the most striking formation, a tall, slender mound that is no longer connected to a hot water source. It makes for a great photo.

It’s recommended to spend at least 1 to 2 hours exploring the different boardwalks and to drive the Upper Terrace Loop and to soak up the sights and smells.

Mammoth has a comprehensive choice of services and is an ideal place to stop for a meal break.

Roaring Mountain Fumaroles.

There are several tempting short stops to make on the way to Norris Junction, but even if we are hurried, the Roaring Mountain Fumaroles should not be bypassed. On this tour of the Upper Loop, these are the most aggressive thermal features will see and hear.

Mammoth to Norris.

Driving away from Mammoth, heading south towards Norris, there are 2 fast and easy places to see. Take a drive around the short loop at the Upper Terrace of Mammoth. See mineral trapped trees; colorful mounds pouring out hot water and cascading terraces of travertine. Another easy roadside stop is at Rustic Falls and the view back to the Golden Gate.

Day 3.

Roaring Mountain (Allow approx. 5-10 minutes for this activity)

This hissing mountain of steam is the only thing like it in the park. Roaring Mountain is a barren hillside of thermal features called fumaroles. It got its name from the loud hissing and roaring that it makes due to thermal activity and could be heard miles away in the days of its discovery. Nowadays the roaring has quieted a bit but can still be heard if you listen carefully. There are no trees on the most active parts of Roaring Mountain due to the intense heat and gases that emanates through its vents. Its slopes are inhospitable to all but the toughest microorganisms. Stop by and see Roaring Mountain on your drive between Mammoth and Norris. There are places to park right off the road directly across from Roaring Mountain.

Virginia Cascade (Allow approx. 10-15 minutes for this activity)

Here, the Gibbon River turns into a 60-foot cascade of whitewater known as Virginia Cascade. The gently sloped Virginia Cascade will remind you of a natural waterslide as you admire its beauty. To catch a glimpse of this waterfall, you need to take the one-way Virginia Cascade Drive located on the Norris/Canyon Road. There are pullouts along the road near the falls that allow you to get out of the car and fairly close to the water. Keep in mind that RVs, buses and trailers are not permitted on Virginia Cascade Drive.

Norris Geyser Basin

Norris Geyser Basin is the hottest of the geyser basins in the Park and is divided in to 2 walking loop trails and you'll find yourself saying "wow" as you explore.

All of the thermal features can be found here. The porcelain basin looks like a scene from another newly forming planet with steam and hot water jetting out of so many places. The white mineral deposits provide the porcelain effect.

The back-Basin trail walk is the home to of Steamboat Geyser the tallest active geyser on the planet, but Steamboat is truly on its own schedule, often going many years between major eruptions, but minor eruptions are more regular and exciting to watch. Explore further around the trail for smaller geysers, dirty muddy hot pools and acidic geysers.

Norris is not to be missed!

Artist's Paint Pots (Allow approx. 45 min. - 1 hr. for this activity)

The Artist's Paint Pots trail is so full of vibrant colors, comparable only to an artist's palette, it will be easy to see how they got their name. The short 1/3-mile trail begins at the parking lot just off the main road across from a wide-open meadow. When the trail gets back to the paint pots, it climbs up a small hill to give you a bird’s eye view of the area and a close look at the mud pots.

Gibbon Falls (Allow approx. 15 - 20 minutes for this activity)

As one of Yellowstone's spectacular waterfalls that can be seen from the road, Gibbon Falls is the spot where the Gibbon River flows 84 feet over the erosion-resistant rock of the giant caldera rim. There is a newly built parking lot available where you can escape the car and stretch your legs. A paved trail guides you high above the banks of the Gibbon River giving you great views of the falls.

Day 4.

Moose Falls (Allow approx. 05 - 10 minutes for this activity)

Moose Falls is the first waterfall you will see when coming into the park from the South Entrance. Just a couple of miles from the entrance there will be a sign for Moose Falls and two large pullouts, one on each side of the road. Follow the short path down to view the falls where the thermally heated Crawfish Creek drops 30 feet over erosion-resistant rock.

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is a visually stunning place like no other. From a perfectly flat valley of Jackson Hole, the Teton Range rises with peaks over 13,000 feet. At the base of the range, lakes formed by ancient glaciers provide beautiful places to go hiking and sightseeing.

Grand Teton is a part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and has abundant wildlife viewing opportunities.

For many visitors, Grand Teton is surprisingly different than its immediate neighbor to the north, Yellowstone, and yet it completes the experience with dramatic mountainscapes, animal sightings and historic ranches and cabins.

Things to See in Grand Teton National Park

· Jenny Lake Area

· Snake River Overlook

· Signal Mountain

· J P Cunningham Cabin

· Teton Glacier View

· Lawrence S Rockefeller Preserve

· Moose

Suggested items to bring:

• Shorts or jeans; t-shirt or a thin long-sleeved top, comfortable sneakers or hiking boots.

• Lots of water, energy drink, food, sandwich…

• Sunscreen, bear spray

• Camera with extra batteries

• Just in case: Lightweight jacket or fleece for windy or chilly mornings/evenings, lightweight breathable rain jacket or poncho.

Download a GyPSy Guide Driving Tour App for Yellowstone - APP

You must have this app to get the most out of your time there! "Ranger", as we called him, was our own personal tour guide to the park. It was as if the narrator was riding with us, our own personal tour guide! Everything was right on the mark! This is what an app and a GPS were meant for! Since cell coverage was effectively non-existent while in Yellowstone this worked great as a GPS and as a narrated guide.

The commentary adjusts for your location at that moment. He filled the drive between major sites with informative talks on the park's animals, geology, history, etc.

The 5 reasons being lazy

2017-07-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

1. Fear of Failure:

(atychiphobia) is when we allow that fear to stop us doing the things that can move us forward to achieve our goals.

2. Avoidance:
The action of keeping away from or not doing something.(waiting till the deadline).
But most of us don’t avoid screen time, facebook, chatting, junk food, fun activities…

3. Time wasters:
An activity or person who either consciously or unconsciously tries to engage you in a fruitless investment of your energy, time, money or attention

4. Excuses:
A reason or explanation put forward to defend or justify a fault or offense.

5. Postponement:
The action of postponing something
ex: learning, eating, exercising, studying, breakfast, sleep, taking shower…

First thing's first, don’t postpone!!!

The rise and fall of Yahoo

2016-07-28T17:05:00.001-07:00

Yahoo announced that it will sell its core assets to Verizon for a mere $4.8 billion. This is only slightly more than Verizon paid for AOL — another washed up dot-com-era company — last year.

Yahoo’s market capitalization reached $125 billion in 2000. Over the next 16 years, it steadily tumbled — mostly due to inaction and missed opportunities.

You could fill an entire MBA course with case studies of all the strategic blunders Yahoo has made. I’ll save you some student debt and give you the skinny right here, in just 5 minutes.

Mistake #1: Yahoo confused being in the right place — at the right time — with being smart.

If Yahoo had launched a year or two later, they probably would have been irrelevant. They rose to dominance in large part by benefitting from what Y-Combinator cofounder Paul Graham — who worked there — called a “de facto ponzi scheme”:

“Investors were excited about the Internet. One reason they were excited was Yahoo’s revenue growth. So they invested in new Internet startups. The startups then used the money to buy ads on Yahoo to get traffic. Which caused yet more revenue growth for Yahoo, and further convinced investors the Internet was worth investing in.”

The growing revenues from this runaway feedback loop tricked Yahoo’s management into thinking that they were smart, when really they were just lucky.

As the dominant web portal, money came easy for Yahoo. They never bothered to build a strong engineering culture, like Facebook and Google did. After all, why should Yahoo invest in its underlying technology when they could just hire more sales people to sell banner ads?

Yahoo’s initial success gave them the hubris they needed to start acquiring other companies, thinking that they could run those companies better than the companies could run themselves.

Here are some companies that Yahoo bought:

Geocities ($3.6 billion)
Tumblr ($1.1 billion)
Mark Cuban’s Broadcast.com ($5.7 billion)

Radio. On. The internet. That’s right — I’m based off of Mark Cuban.

Broadcast.com and Tumblr are widely considered two of the worst acquisitions of all time, and were largely written off as losses. In less than 10 years, Geocities went from being the third most visited website on earth to being shut down everywhere but Japan.

What remains of the $3.6 billion dollar Geocities acquisition.

Mistake #2: Yahoo forgot what it was that got them there.

Distracted by all the acquisitions, Yahoo’s leadership forgot about its healthy core products. Here are a few multi-billion dollar industries it ceded to new entrants:

Yahoo Mail lost to GMail
Yahoo Answers lost to Quora
Flickr lost to Instagram

And most humiliating of all, Yahoo Search lost to Google Search — to such an extent that in 2009, Yahoo scrapped their 13 year-old search engine in favor of licensing Bing Search, which Microsoft had just launched.

These were all services where Yahoo had a multi-year incumbent lead, with millions of active users. They had the funds. They had the traffic. They could have experimented and improved upon these services. But they failed to take the initiative. Instead, they got out-designed and out-engineered at every turn.

Mistake #3: Yahoo slaughtered its golden goose while it was still producing eggs.

In 2005, Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang made one of the smartest investments in history — he purchased 40% of Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba for $1 billion.

Today Alibaba is worth more than $200 billion, and it’s still growing. That means that Yahoo’s stake in Alibaba must be worth $80 billion dollars!

Alibaba founder and CEO Jack Ma, ready to correct me.

Except, wait. In 2012, Yahoo decided to sell off significant portions of its Alibaba stock. They sold even more in 2014.

Yahoo thought they were pretty clever at the time, because they profited a few billion dollars off of these sales.

Today, Yahoo only owns 15% of Alibaba, but that asset alone is worth $30 billion — six times as much as all of Yahoo’s core businesses.

But, oh, that bittersweet $50 billion that they let get away.

Mistake #4: Yahoo fell for CEOs who were professional professionals.

You may think Marissa Mayer was a bad CEO. She did, after all, preside over Yahoo’s disastrous Tumblr acquisition in 2013 and sale of Alibaba stock in 2014. And she did little to slow Yahoo’s descent.

But Mayer looks like a business genius when you compare her to the managers who preceded her.

Instead of promoting executives from within, Yahoo chose to hire from the “professional CEO” circuit. And they did not choose wisely.

Scott Thompson kicked off his tenure as CEO by laying off 2,000 people. Then he sold a ton of Yahoo’s Alibaba stock (which, as we established, would have been worth tens of billions of dollars today).

He was so worried about appearing qualified to run a tech company that hestraight-up lied about having a degree in computer science.

At first, Yahoo’s board doubted this accusation because it was coming from an activist shareholder.

But then the university Thompson attended publicly confirmed that they didn’t even have a computer science program back when he had attended.

A public relations fiasco ensued, and Yahoo quickly fired Thompson. He had only worked there for 130 days. Despite all this, Yahoo ended up paying him $7.3 million for his time there.

And then, there’s Terry Semel, who is considered one of the worst CEOs of all time.

Not the look you want to see on your CEO’s face.

Semel failed to acquire Google when Yahoo got its second opportunity to do so. Then he proceeded to do nothing to stop Google from devastating Yahoo’s previous dominance of the search industry.

Semel also botched acquisitions of both Facebook and DoubleClick (the technology that became the centerpiece of Google’s advertising empire).

And after all of these missteps, Semel blew his one shot at redemption: he turned down Microsoft’s offer of $40 billion to buy Yahoo outright.

The real kicker is that, over the 7 years that Semel drove the company into the ground, Yahoo compensated him with half a billion dollars.

Mistake #5: Yahoo let their assumptions blind them to new opportunities.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin tried to sell Google to Yahoo in 1998. They only wanted $1 million.

Yahoo rejected them because they wanted their users to spend more time on Yahoo directories, where they would be exposed to banner ads. Better search — like the kind Google was offering — would quickly route users away from Yahoo.

It didn’t occur to Yahoo that doing what was best for users might ultimately be best for the company. Or that Google might use this technology to, you know, compete with Yahoo.

Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang once met with Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Yang’s pose is — in retrospect — quite appropriate.

A simple guide to the Pokémania Pokemon Go

2016-07-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been on the internet — or, um, outside — lately, you may have noticed that a game called Pokémon Go is suddenly taking the world by storm. It may have you wondering, especially if you were born before 1984, just what the hell is going on.

Pokémon is a Nintendo franchise that launched in the 1990s. In its world, "trainers" travel the world to catch varied monsters called Pokémon — rats, dragons, swordlike creatures, and more — and use these critters to fight each other. The trainer’s goal is to "catch ’em all," as the franchise’s slogan suggests, and become a Pokémon master by defeating prestigious trainers known as gym leaders and Elite Four.

So what is Pokémon Go? Unlike previous Pokémon games, it’s not for Nintendo’s handheld consoles; it’s a free download for Android and iOS devices. It also doesn’t play at all like previous Pokémon games: Although the goal is still to catch ’em all, Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game — it mixes real-world elements with the game.

The big thing is Pokémon Go uses your phone’s GPS and clock to decide which Pokémon appear in the game. If you’re at the park, more bug and grass types appear. If you’re by a lake, more water types appear. If it’s night, more nocturnal ghost and fairy types do. So Pokémon won’t just come to you; players have to traverse the real world to catch ’em all.

Pokémon Go also has gyms — where you can fight gym leaders — and PokéStops based on real-world locations, which create hubs where players can meet. (You can buy, with real money, items to lure Pokémon to these stops; that’s how Niantic, the game’s developer, makes money.)

So why is the game taking off now? Well, it just came out, so it’s new and exciting. But it’s also free, making it easy to pick up. And it taps into nostalgia for those who played Pokémon in the ’90s. Specifically, Pokémon Go realizes a vision Pokémon fans have had since the series came out: What if Pokémon were real, and inhabited our world?

It’s also exciting because it’s the first big augmented reality game. Although others (like Ingress and Life Is Crime) tried before, none reached the heights of Pokémon Go. But with Pokémon Go’s success, it’s something you can expect more of in the future.

New Human Ancestor Discovered in South Africa

2015-09-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Within a deep and narrow cave in South Africa, paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and his team found fossil remains belonging to the newest member of our human family. The Homo naledi discovery adds another exciting chapter to the human evolution story by introducing an ancestor that was primitive but shared physical characteristics with modern humans.

Because the cave system where the bones were located was extremely difficult to access, it could be speculated that these hominins practiced a behavior previously believed to be modern: that of deliberately disposing of their dead underground.

Click here to read more about the Homo naledi discovery: http://natgeo.org/naledi

A NOVA/National Geographic special, “Dawn of Humanity,” premieres Sept. 16, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on PBS in the U.S: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolutio...

Learn more about National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Lee Berger: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/exp...

The finds are described in two papers published in the journal eLife: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.09560

VIDEOGRAPHERS: Bryan Root and Hans Weise
SENIOR PRODUCER: Jeff Hertrick
EDITOR: Jennifer Murphy
ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE: National Geographic/NOVA
ART: Stefan Fichtel

Yoga time for Chihuahua!!!

2015-09-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Sometimes our darling pets join us in our daily activities so effortlessly as if they’ve been preparing for this moment their whole lives. Such is the case with the hilarious video you are about to see.

It’s widely known that yoga is great for the mind, body and soul. But few people know that dogs are equally interested in holistic living as us humans. Any dog owner who has ever tried to work out while their beloved pup is in the vicinity will probably agree with me.

While practicing Yoga in the presence of your pet dog, it would inquisitively circle around, sniffing and licking and trying to figure out why you are laying on the floor like that; others think its playtime, and try to initiate a game. But never before this video have I seen a dog so that reacts like this…This is uproarious! Yogis and non-yogis alike will get a good laugh out of the video below…enjoy!

Amazing Scientific Reasons Behind Hindu Traditions

2014-10-21T05:34:00.000-07:00

Joining Both Palms Together To Greet

In Hindu culture, people greet each other by joining their palms – termed as “Namaskar.” The general reason behind this tradition is that greeting by joining both the palms means respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together; which are denoted to the pressure points of eyes, ears, and mind. Pressing them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us remember that person for a long time. And, no germs since we don’t make any physical contact!

Why Do Indian Women Wear Toe Ring

Wearing toe rings is not just the significance of married women but there is science behind it. Normally toe rings are worn on the second toe. A particular nerve from the second toe connects the uterus and passes to heart. Wearing toe ring on this finger strengthens the uterus. It will keep it healthy by regulating the blood flow to it and menstrual cycle will be regularized. As Silver is a good conductor, it also absorbs polar energies from the earth and passes it to the body.

Throwing Coins Into A River

The general reasoning given for this act is that it brings Good Luck. However, scientifically speaking, in the ancient times, most of the currency used was made of copper unlike the stainless steel coins of today. Copper is a vital metal very useful to the human body. Throwing coins in the river was one way our fore-fathers ensured we intake sufficient copper as part of the water as rivers were the only source of drinking water. Making it a custom ensured that all of us follow the practice.

Applying Tilak/KumKum On The Forehead

On the forehead, between the two eyebrows, is a spot that is considered as a major nerve point in human body since ancient times. The Tilak is believed to prevent the loss of “energy”, the red ‘kumkum’ between the eyebrows is said to retain energy in the human body and control the various levels of concentration. While applying kumkum the points on the mid-brow region and Adnya-chakra are automatically pressed. This also facilitates the blood supply to the face muscles.

Why Do Temples Have Bells

People who are visiting the temple should and will Ring the bell before entering the inner sanctum (Garbhagudi or Garbha Gruha or womb-chamber) where the main idol is placed. According to Agama Sastra, the bell is used to give sound for keeping evil forces away and the ring of the bell is pleasant to God. However, the scientific reason behind bells is that their ring clears our mind and helps us stay sharp and keep our full concentration on devotional purpose. These bells are made in such a way that when they produce a sound it creates a unity in the Left and Right parts of our brains. The moment we ring the bell, it produces a sharp and enduring sound which lasts for minimum of 7 seconds in echo mode. The duration of echo is good enough to activate all the seven healing centres in our body. This results in emptying our brain from all negative thoughts.

Why We Start With Spice & End With Sweet:

Our ancestors have stressed on the fact that our meals should be started off with something spicy and sweet dishes should be taken towards the end. The significance of this eating practice is that while spicy things activate the digestive juices and acids and ensure that the digestion process goes on smoothly and efficiently, sweets or carbohydrates pulls down the digestive process. Hence, sweets were always recommended to be taken as a last item.

Why Do We Applying Mehendi/Henna On The Hand And Feet

Besides lending color to the hands, mehndi is a very powerful medicinal herb. Weddings are stressful, and often, the stress causes headaches and fevers. As the wedding day approaches, the excitement mixed with nervous anticipation can take its toll on the bride and groom. Application of mehndi can prevent too much stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. This is the reason why mehndi is applied on the hands and feet, which house nerve endings in the body.

Sitting On The Floor & Eating

This tradition is not just about sitting on floor and eating, it is regarding sitting in the “Sukhasan” position and then eating. Sukhasan is the position we normally use for Yoga asanas. When you sit on the floor, you usually sit cross legged – In sukhasana or a half padmasana (half lotus), which are poses that instantly bring a sense of calm and help in digestion, it is believed to automatically trigger the signals to your brain to prepare the stomach for digestion.

Why You Should Not To Sleep With Your Head Towards North

Myth is that it invites ghost or death but science says that it is because human body has its own magnetic field (Also known as hearts magnetic field, because the flow of blood) and Earth is a giant magnet. When we sleep with head towards north, our body’s magnetic field become completely asymmetrical to the Earth’s Magnetic field. That cause problems related to blood pressure and our heart needs to work harder in order to overcome this asymmetry of Magnetic fields. Apart from this another reason is that Our body have significant amount of iron in our blood. When we sleep in this position, iron from the whole body starts to congregate in brain. This can cause headache, Alzheimer’s Disease, Cognitive Decline, Parkinson disease and brain degeneration.

Why We Pierce Ear

Piercing the ears has a great importance in Indian ethos. Indian physicians and philosophers believe that piercing the ears helps in the development of intellect, power of thinking and decision making faculties. Talkativeness fritters away life energy. Ear piercing helps in speech-restraint. It helps to reduce impertinent behavior and the ear-channels become free from disorders. This idea appeals to the Western world as well, and so they are getting their ears pierced to wear fancy earrings as a mark of fashion.

Surya Namaskar

Hindus have a tradition of paying regards to Sun God early in the morning by their water offering ritual. It was mainly because looking at Sun rays through water or directly at that time of the day is good for eyes and also by waking up to follow this routine, we become prone to a morning lifestyle and mornings are proven to be the most effective part of the day.

Choti On The Male Head

Sushrut rishi, the foremost surgeon of Ayurveda, describes the master sensitive spot on the head as Adhipati Marma, where there is a nexus of all nerves. The shikha protects this spot. Below, in the brain, occurs the Brahmarandhra, where the sushumnã (nerve) arrives from the lower part of the body. In Yog, Brahmarandhra is the highest, seventh chakra, with the thousand-petalled lotus. It is the centre of wisdom. The knotted shikhã helps boost this centre and conserve its subtle energy known as ojas.

Why Do We Fast

The underlying principle behind fasting is to be found in Ayurveda. This ancient Indian medical system sees the basic cause of many diseases as the accumulation of toxic materials in the digestive system. Regular cleansing of toxic materials keeps one healthy. By fasting, the digestive organs get rest and all body mechanisms are cleansed and corrected. A complete fast is good for heath, and the occasional intake of warm lemon juice during the period of fasting prevents the flatulence. Since the human body, as explained by Ayurveda, is composed of 80% liquid and 20% solid, like the earth, the gravitational force of the moon affects the fluid contents of the body. It causes emotional imbalances in the body, making some people tense, irritable and violent. Fasting acts as antidote, for it lowers the acid content in the body which helps people to retain their sanity. Research suggests there are major health benefits to caloric restriction like reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, immune disorders etc.

The Scientific Explanation Of Touching Feet (Charan Sparsh)

Usually, the person of whose feet you are touching is either old or pious. When they accept your respect which came from your reduced ego (and is called your shraddha) their hearts emit positive thoughts and energy (which is called their karuna) which reaches you through their hands and toes. In essence, the completed circuit enables flow of energy and increases cosmic energy, switching on a quick connect between two minds and hearts. To an extent, the same is achieved through handshakes and hugs. The nerves that start from our brain spread across all your body. These nerves or wires end in the fingertips of your hand and feet. When you join the fingertips of your hand to those of their opposite feet, a circuit is immediately formed and the energies of two bodies are connected. Your fingers and palms become the ‘receptor’ of energy and the feet of other person become the ‘giver’ of energy.

Why Married Women Apply Sindoor Or Vermillion

It is interesting to note that that the application of sindoor by married women carries a physiological significance. This is so because Sindoor is prepared by mixing turmeric-lime and the metal mercury. Due to its intrinsic properties, mercury, besides controlling blood pressure also activates sexual drive. This also explains why Sindoor is prohibited for the widows. For best results, Sindoor should be applied right upto the pituitary gland where all our feelings are centered. Mercury is also known for removing stress and strain.

Why Do We Worship Peepal Tree

‘Peepal’ tree is almost useless for an ordinary person, except for its shadow. ‘Peepal’ does not a have a delicious fruit, its wood is not strong enough for any purpose then why should a common villager or person worship it or even care for it? Our ancestors knew that ‘Peepal’ is one of the very few trees (or probably the only tree) which produces oxygen even at night. So in order to save this tree because of its unique property they related it to God/religion.

Why Do We Worship Tulsi Plant

Hindu religion has bestowed ‘Tulsi’, with the status of mother. Also known as ‘Sacred or Holy Basil’, Tulsi, has been recognized as a religious and spiritual devout in many parts of the world. The vedic sages knew the benefits of Tulsi and that is why they personified it as a Goddess and gave a clear message to the entire community that it needs to be taken care of by the people, literate or illiterate. We try to protect it because it is like Sanjeevani for the mankind. Tulsi has great medicinal properties. It is a remarkable antibiotic. Taking Tulsi everyday in tea or otherwise increases immunity and help the drinker prevent diseases, stabilize his or her health condition, balance his or her body system and most important of all, prolong his or her life. Keeping Tulsi plant at home prevents insects and mosquitoes from entering the house. It is said that snakes do not dare to go near a Tulsi plant. Maybe that is why ancient people would grow lots of Tulsi near their houses.

Why Do We Worship Idol

Hinduism propagates idol worship more than any other religion. Researchers say that this was initiated for the purpose of increasing concentration during prayers. According to psychiatrists, a man will shape his thoughts as per what he sees. If you have 3 different objects in front of you, your thinking will change according to the object you are viewing. Similarly, in ancient India, idol worship was established so that when people view idols it is easy for them to concentrate to gain spiritual energy and meditate without mental diversion

Why Do Indian Women Wear Bangles

Normally the wrist portion is in constant activation on any human. Also the pulse beat in this portion is mostly checked for all sorts of ailments. The Bangles used by women are normally in the wrist part of ones hand and its constant friction increases the blood circulation level. Further more the electricity passing out through outer skin is again reverted to one’s own body because of the ring shaped bangles, which has no ends to pass the energy outside but to send it back to the body.

Why Should We Visit Temple?

Temples are located strategically at a place where the positive energy is abundantly available from the magnetic and electric wave distributions of north/south pole thrust. The main idol is placed in the core center of the temple, known as “*Garbhagriha*” or *Moolasthanam*. In fact, the temple structure is built after the idol has been placed. This *Moolasthanam* is where earth’s magnetic waves are found to be maximum. We know that there are some copper plates, inscribed with Vedic scripts, buried beneath the Main Idol. What are they really? No, they are not God’s / priests’ flash cards when they forget the *shlokas*. The copper plate absorbs earth’s magnetic waves and radiates it to the surroundings. Thus a person regularly visiting a temple and walking clockwise around the Main Idol receives the beamed magnetic waves and his body absorbs it. This is a very slow process and a regular visit will let him absorb more of this positive energy. Scientifically, it is the positive energy that we all require to have a healthy life.

15 Underrated Destinations In India Every Traveler Must Visit

2014-10-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

India has no dearth of beautiful travel destinations. Some are more popular and more commercialized than others. That in no way implies that the lesser-known places have anything less to offer; just that they haven't been explored as much. This is why you need to know places that aren't as saturated by tourists. You need a list of the most underrated travel options in India. You would be surprised by how much this country has to offer.

1. Tarkarli, Maharashtra

Frankly, almost any beach on the Konkan coast could have qualified for this spot. Tarkarli, in Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra, with its pristine waters, long and narrow beaches with Shuru trees in the background, managed to earn some extra points. It's one of the most peaceful and non-commercialized beaches in India.

2. Lambasingi, Andhra Pradesh

The very fact that Lambasingi, in Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh, is one of those rare places in South India that boasts of snowfall makes this village an amazing place. Throughout the year, the temperature there ranges from 0°C to 10°C, earning it the nickname, 'Kashmir of South India'. Better go there before the others do.

3. Osian, Rajasthan

Osian village in Jodhpur district in Rajasthan is a delight for those who love historical architecture and the fact that you get to see all of it in an oasis in the Thar Desert makes it a double whammy. The 8th to 11th century temples there make this village a must-visit destination.

4. Keibul Lamjao on Loktak Lake, Manipur

Keibul Lamjao, in Bishnupur district in Manipur is the world's only floating park and it's also home to the endangered Sangai deer. The floating garden on Loktak Lake is a result of decomposing plant material, locally called phumdis. You have to see it to believe it.

5. Gavi, Kerala

We usually associate trekking with mountains and hills. But this is one wildlife trek you wouldn't want to miss. Located in Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, on the highway connecting Kollam and Madurai, Gavi is part of the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is said that the only two gopher trees in India can be found in Gavi.

6. Kasar Devi/Crank's Ridge, Uttarakhand

If you're interested in the hippie-way of life but are tired of the huge number of tourists in Himachal Pradesh, you need to make it a point to visit Kasar Devi village near Almora in Uttarakhand. Crank's Ridge, or Hippie Hill as the locals call it, on the way to Kasar Devi temple is also a historical place for hippies. Legends like Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens are some of the few people who visited this place during the peak of the Hippie movement in the sixties.

7. Lonar Crater, Maharashtra

Located in Buldana district in Maharashtra, the Lonar Crater Lake was formed around 570,000 years ago due to a meteor impact. Owing to its high concentration of carbonate salts it's categorized as a saline soda lake. So, it's a soda lake formed by a crater. Enough said.

8. Krem Mawmluh & Krem Ri Blai, Meghalaya

Cave exploration hasn't taken off in a big way in India, which is really surprising considering there are so many options to do so in this country. Krem Mawmluh and Krem Ri Blai, in Mehgalaya, are natural horizontal and vertical caves respectively. Make it a point to visit them at least once in your life.

9. Killar-Kishtwar Highway, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir

You cannot be a true traveler until you go on an exciting road trip. Speaking of which, the one trail you need to experience is the treacherous but life-changing ride from Himachal Pradesh to Jammu & Kashmir through the Killar-Kishtwar Highway. Not for the faint hearted, this scenic mountain pass is even more fun if you're traveling with fellow bikers. Just keep yourself updated on news about landslides and roadblocks.

10. Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

Ziro is a town in the Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh and it has been hosting the Ziro Festival of Music for the past three years. But here's the thing - the quaint little town is so attractive, that even without a crowd pulling event, it would find a spot on this list.

11. Haflong, Assam

North-East India is dotted with hill stations but surprisingly, Haflong is the only one in Assam. The center of the Dima Hasao district, Haflong is known for its cool climate, local liquor and an overwhelming love of pork. The Haflong Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the entire North-east. Not visiting this hill town would be a huge mistake.

12. Wayanad, Kerala

This piece of trivia goes out especially to those trying to escape the city life for a while - Wayanad district is only 3.79% urbanized. Yep, lots of greenery here. Ancient history geeks can also trip out on the Edakkal caves where they can see actual pictorial writings from the Neolithic period.

13. Auli, Uttarakhand

We Indians usually tend to associate snow with places like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir or Sikkim but did you know Uttarakhand actually has one of the most exciting ski destinations? The picturesque town of Auli hosts the National Championships of Snow Skiing and right next to the Clifftop Hotel, the town also has the world's highest artificial lake.

14. Nuranang Falls, Arunachal Pradesh

Located about 2 km away from the town of Jang on the road connecting Tawang and Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh, Nuranang Falls is one the most attractive ones in Northeast India. After a song from the 1997 Bollywood film Koyla was filmed here, the place attracted more tourists.

15. Unakoti, Tripura

The stone carvings in Unakoti in Tripura are one of the most detailed ones in India and yet, this place is rarely visited. As per Hindu mythology, when Lord Shiva was going to Kashi along with one crore gods and goddesses, he made a night halt at this location. He asked all of them to wake up before sun rise. It is said that in the morning, except Shiva himself, no one else woke up on time. So Shiva set out for Kashi on his own cursing the others to become stone images. Perfect for both spirituality and history enthusiasts, this is truly one of the most underrated places in the country.

A true traveler always experiments. Bring out the wanderer in you and choose any of the above spots for your next trip. You would be amazed by how much you might discover.

Things You Didn't Know Your iPhone Could Do

2014-07-24T23:28:00.004-07:00

Apple iPhone can do all sorts of magical things that you probably aren't aware of. Here's a list of some of the iPhone's coolest hidden features.

Get Siri to read your emails aloud for you

Just say the magic words “Read my email” and Siri will read all your messages aloud to you. If you like, you can tell her to read only your most recent email (“Read my latest email”) or just those from a specific contact (“Do I have email from Mark?”).

Automatically turn off your music with the timer

If you like to doze off with music playing like I do, you can use the timer to automatically turn your music off so that it doesn't play all night. In the timer app, select “When Timer Ends,” then scroll down and select “Stop Playing.” The Timer will automatically turn off your tunes after whatever length of time you set.

Scroll through videos and music at half, quarter, or eighth speed

This one is super useful. When you scroll—or as Apple calls it, "scrub"—through a movie or a song, the default mode is high-speed scrolling. This sometimes makes it hard to find the exact spot you want. But you can control the rate at which you scroll. To do this, hold down the dot—or "playhead"—in the scrollbar at the top of the video screen (tap the screen to display the scrollbar if it isn't visible) and slide your finger straight down without lifting it. This allows you to change the scrubbing speed to half-speed, quarter-speed, eighth-speed ("fine scrubbing"). Once you've selected the speed, move your finger left or right (without lifting it) to scroll.

Take a photo with the volume buttons

Sometimes it's hard to snap a picture by touching the capture button—if you're wearing gloves, say—in which case, you can take the shoot by pressing either the volume up or the volume down button. Problem solved!

Take multiple photo bursts all at once

If you hold down the capture button, your phone will take a series of rapid shots, or bursts, in quick succession. This is especially useful if you're photographing a moving subject. Later you can scan through all the bursts and pick your favorite ones.

Reveal timestamps on text messages

Drag the text bubble to the left and you'll see a timestamp for every text message. Among other things, this will show you just how much time you waste texting.

Use your iPhone as a level

Need to hang a picture? In the Compass app, swipe left and your iPhone becomes a perfect level.

Make your iPhone speak selected text

I like to use this one randomly just to freak people out. First you have to enable Speak Selection. To do that go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Speak Selection and turn it on. A "Speak" button will now appear whenever you select text. Bonus: you can also choose different accents (would you prefer an Aussie iPhone?) and even control the speed at which selected text is spoken. Trust me, you can waste a lot of time with this one.

Start a new sentence just by double-tapping the spacebar

Whenever you're typing and you need to start a new sentence, just double-tap the spacebar and it will automatically add a period and a space for you.

See a more detailed calendar

When using the calendar app, turn you phone sideways (into landscape position) and voilà, you'll get a more detailed look at your sked.

Lock auto-focus and exposure while taking a picture

It can get annoying when when you're trying to take a picture and your iPhone camera keeps refocusing and automatically adjusting the exposure. But you can lock in the focus and exposure by pressing and holding your finger on the screen until you see a yellow square blink twice. A yellow icon that says “AE/AF Lock" will appear at the bottom of the screen letting you know that you've locked in the exposure and focus. It'll stay that way until you're done with the shot.

Add web suffixes with a single tap

It took my a while to learn this one—and I wish I'd known about it sooner. When you're typing in a web address, just hold down the "." at the bottom of your keyboard, and a menu will pop up showing a list of web suffixes (.com, .net, .edu, etc.)

Quickly access your email drafts

This is one that very few people know about. Next time you're using your Mail app, hold down the Compose icon in the lower right corner of your screen, and it'll quickly jump to a list of your drafts. I use this feature all the time.

Create custom keyboard shortcuts

Say there's a certain word or phrase (or a password) that you use a lot. You can create a shortcut for it. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Add New Shortcut. Enter a word or phrase and the shortcut you'd like to use for it. Every time you type that shortcut, the whole word or phrase will magically appear. You can even create shortcuts for emoji!

Create a passcode with letters (not just numbers)

By default, your iPhone asks you to type in numbers when you create the passcode that unlocks your phone. But you can change this setting. Go to Settings > General > Passcode Lock and turn off “Simple Passcode.” You will be prompted to change your passcode, and a full keyboard will appear onscreen instead of just the number pad. This keyboard will pop up every time you unlock your phone.

Set your phone to emit light flashes for alerts

nstead of having your iPhone ring or vibrate when you get a call or a message, you can have it emit an LED flash. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility, then scroll down and turn on “LED Flash for Alerts." Warning: it's REALLY bright!

Recharge your battery faster by switching to airplane mode

Switching to airplane mode turns off battery-draining wireless and cellular access, allowing your phone to recharge up to twice as fast.

Be sure to share these hot tips with your friends by clicking below. They'll thank you for it.

Apple iOS 8: What's new in the latest iPhone, iPad software

2014-06-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

Apple unveiled the new iOS 8 software for iPads, iPhones and iPod devices at its annual developers conference in San Francisco. The free updates will come this fall, though app developers get a test version starting Monday. Here is what's new in iOS 8 which is Coming This Fall.

In iOS 8, every photo and video you take now lives in iCloud. So you can view a photo from last week or last year no matter where you are.
Once you've enabled it on your iOS devices, iCloud Photo Library automatically keeps all your photos and videos in iCloud, at full resolution in their original formats, including RAW files. You can access and download them anytime from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or the web.
iOS 8 makes it simple to find every shot. Now you can search thousands of your photos right from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Search by the date or time the photo was taken, location, or album name. Just tap the search icon, and you will get choices based on what's important to you.
Even after you take your photo, Photos can automatically straighten horizons and provide the ideal crop.
Crop, straighten, enhance, or add filters to your pictures using Photos in iOS 8. Your changes are immediately uploaded to iCloud and visible on your other devices.
iOS 8 makes it possible for other app developers to create filters and editing tools that you can use in Photos.
iOS 8 lets you modify the overall light in a photo with a single control. Use the smart slider to find just the right lighting. Slide to enhance blue skies or make colors pop. Photos also adjusts exposure, brightness, and contrast.
The messaging app in iOS 8 has Tap to Talk (make an audio/video recording and send to recipients).
Messages in iOS 8 will let users send multiple photos and videos at once.
iOS 8 will let users share their location in the middle of any conversation.
It also has group messaging. Start a group conversation and give it a name. You can include who you want, drop who you don't, and leave the conversation whenever you want.
Tap to see every attachment from a conversation. It's simple to browse the photos and videos within a thread. You will see all the photos and videos going back to the very first exchange, without having to scroll through earlier messages.
It will have new gestures, such as double tapping to get a list of people you communicate with most often.
The new software will sport interactive notifications, so you can respond to a message without having to leave another app.
Apple says with iOS 8, time-saving features arrive in mail. From your inbox, swipe to mark an email as read or flag it for follow-up. You can jump between a draft email and an email in your inbox to gather the information you need to compose your message.
Tab view shows all the open tabs on your iPad as well as tabs on your other devices, too.
Tap the Sidebar to see your bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Links.
A "quick type"feature promises predictive typing suggestions. For example, if you start typing, "Do you want to go to,"the phone will suggest "dinner"or "movie"as the next word. Currently, the suggestions are limited to spelling corrections.
For the first time, iOS 8 opens up the keyboard to developers. It means users will be able to use keyboards from other companies on their iOS devices.
Family Sharing is a new feature in iOS 8. Up to six people in your family can share purchases from iTunes, iBooks, and the App Store without sharing accounts. You will be able to pay for family purchases with the same credit card.
Once you set up Family Sharing, family members get access to each other's music, movies, TV shows, books, and apps.
Family Sharing automatically sets up a family photo stream where you can share photos, videos, and comments. And everything stays up to date on everyone's devices.
Now everybody in the family can add events to one calendar. You can even set up family reminders that will appear on everyone's devices at the exact time or place you choose.
Family Sharing can automatically share your location with your family members and show you where they are, too.
iOS 8 will gives users freedom to work with the document of their choice on the device of their choice. Because with iCloud Drive, users will be able to store all their presentations, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and any other kind of document in iCloud and access them from their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC.
iCloud Drive will give users access to the latest version of their documents from any device. Edits you make on one device appear on all of them.
iOS 8 will have a built-in health-management tool to help people track their vital signs, diet and sleeping habits. Called "Healthkit,"it will pull together data such as blood pressure and weight, collected by a growing plethora of healthcare apps on the iPhone or iPad.
You can view your most recent health and fitness data in one dashboard. You can also see a list of the different types of data being managed by Health, and then tap to see each one individually.
Apple will work in tandem with Nike, a major player in fitness tracking, and the Mayo Clinic on the new feature, which will be included with the latest versions of Apple's mobile software.
iOS 8 gives have complete control over exactly which data to share with each health and fitness app.
With iOS, Apple says that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac will be connected like never before.
A new "handoff"feature will let you switch devices more easily, so you can start writing an email on a phone and finish on a Mac.
And when a call comes in on your iPhone, you can get caller ID information on your Mac. Just click or swipe the notification to answer, ignore, or respond with a quick message. You can also make a phone call from your iPad or Mac.
Not only from iPhone, you can now send (or receive) SMS and MMS text messages right from your iPad or Mac.
Now Spotlight goes beyond your device to find what you're looking for. Before it answers, it considers things like context and location.
The enterprise-grade security technologies built into iOS are even more powerful in iOS 8, says Apple. The company says it has expanded data protection to more apps and enabled finer control over mail encryption.

Short Horror Film Will Make You Sleep With the Lights On

2014-03-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

Be warned: If you're afraid of the dark, you might want to skip this one.

Lights Out is a short horror film that follows a woman readying herself for bed, only to find that something may be lurking in the shadows. At just under three minutes, this short video has us wanting to leave the lights on full time.

MH370 A different point of view by chris goodfellow

2014-03-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

A lot of speculation about MH370. Terrorism, hijack, meteors. I cannot believe the analysis on CNN - almost disturbing. I tend to look for a more simple explanation of this event.

Loaded 777 departs midnight from Kuala to Beijing. Hot night. Heavy aircraft. About an hour out across the gulf towards Vietnam the plane goes dark meaning the transponder goes off and secondary radar tracking goes off.

Two days later we hear of reports that Malaysian military radar (which is a primary radar meaning the plane is being tracked by reflection rather than by transponder interrogation response) has tracked the plane on a southwesterly course back across the Malay Peninsula into the straits of Malacca.

When I heard this I immediately brought up Google Earth and I searched for airports in proximity to the track towards southwest.

The left turn is the key here. This was a very experienced senior Captain with 18,000 hours. Maybe some of the younger pilots interviewed on CNN didn't pick up on this left turn. We old pilots were always drilled to always know the closest airport of safe harbor while in cruise. Airports behind us, airports abeam us and airports ahead of us. Always in our head. Always. Because if something happens you don't want to be thinking what are you going to do - you already know what you are going to do. Instinctively when I saw that left turn with a direct heading I knew he was heading for an airport. Actually he was taking a direct route to Palau Langkawi a 13,000 foot strip with an approach over water at night with no obstacles. He did not turn back to Kuala Lampur because he knew he had 8,000 foot ridges to cross. He knew the terrain was friendlier towards Langkawi and also a shorter distance.

Take a look on Google Earth at this airport. This pilot did all the right things. He was confronted by some major event onboard that made him make that immediate turn back to the closest safe airport.
For me the loss of transponders and communications makes perfect sense if a fire. There was most likely a fire or electrical fire. In the case of fire the first response if to pull all the main busses and restore circuits one by one until you have isolated the bad one.

If they pulled the busses the plane indeed would go silent. It was probably a serious event and they simply were occupied with controlling the plane and trying to fight the fire. Aviate, Navigate and lastly communicate. There are two types of fires. Electrical might not be as fast and furious and there might or might not be incapacitating smoke. However there is the possibility given the timeline that perhaps there was an overheat on one of the front landing gear tires and it blew on takeoff and started slowly burning. Yes this happens with underinflated tires. Remember heavy plane, hot night, sea level, long run takeoff. There was a well known accident in Nigeria of a DC8 that had a landing gear fire on takeoff. A tire fire once going would produce horrific incapacitating smoke. Yes, pilots have access to oxygen masks but this is a no no with fire. Most have access to a smoke hood with a filter but this will only last for a few minutes depending on the smoke level. (I used to carry one of my own in a flight bag and I still carry one in my briefcase today when I fly).

What I think happened is that they were overcome by smoke and the plane just continued on the heading probably on George (autopilot) until either fuel exhaustion or fire destroyed the control surfaces and it crashed. I said four days ago you will find it along that route - looking elsewhere was pointless.

This pilot, as I say, was a hero struggling with an impossible situation trying to get that plane to Langkawi. No doubt in my mind. That's the reason for the turn and direct route. A hijack would not have made that deliberate left turn with a direct heading for Langkawi. It would probably have weaved around a bit until the hijackers decided on where they were taking it.

Surprisingly none of the reporters , officials, other pilots interviewed have looked at this from the pilot's viewpoint. If something went wrong where would he go? Thanks to Google earth I spotted Langkawi in about 30 seconds, zoomed in and saw how long the runway was and I just instinctively knew this pilot knew this airport. He had probably flown there many times. I guess we will eventually find out when you help me spread this theory on the net and some reporters finally take a look on Google earth and put 2 and 2 together. Also a look at the age and number of cycles on those nose tires might give us a good clue too.

Fire in an aircraft demands one thing - you get the machine on the ground as soon as possible. There are two well remembered experiences in my memory. The AirCanada DC9 which landed I believe in Columbus Ohio in the eighties. That pilot delayed descent and bypassed several airports. He didn't instinctively know the closest airports. He got it on the ground eventually but lost 30 odd souls. In the 1998 crash of Swissair DC-10 off Nova Scotia was another example of heroic pilots. They were 15 minutes out of Halifax but the fire simply overcame them and they had to ditch in the ocean. Just ran out of time. That fire incidentally started when the aircraft was about an hour out of Kennedy. Guess what the transponders and communications were shut off as they pulled the busses.

Get on Google Earth and type in Pulau Langkawi and then look at it in relation to the radar track heading. 2+2=4 That for me is the simple explanation why it turned and headed in that direction.

Smart pilot. Just didn't have the time.

Fearless Man Plays With Grizzly Bears Like You Play With Your Dog

2014-01-30T06:02:00.000-08:00

BEAR trainer Doug Seus is a man who thinks nothing of play wrestling a grizzly bear - or posing with his head in its mouth.

What Most Schools Don't Teach

2013-11-29T18:56:00.002-08:00

Time for us to learn how to code!

Watched It - then just try to tell me you’re not interested in learning how to code. Go on, Ie dare you!

Best online shopping sites in india

2013-11-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

Online shopping has been growing very fast in India, only in 2012 online shopping e-commerce site number has crossed 600 from 100 . Online shopping offers fast, easy, money saving and interesting shopping experience.

Online shopping has many advantages like 24 hours shopping, Shopping with coupon to get discount, shopping from Home, rich product availability and specifications etc. Also now many sites like Shopclues, Ebay, Tradus offers some great deals everyday or week which you can’t resist like Jaw Dropping Deal, Sunday Flea Deal, Tradus Mega deal, Ebay Sankalp deals, Homeshop18.com Superdeals etc.

Ebay and Amazon are the market leaders in online shopping in the world. However local Shopping deal site are more popular in India. Here is a list of popular websites offering online shopping in India.

Flipkart - Corporate office Bangalore, Karnataka | Establishment – 2007
Business – Online shopping store | Website – www.flipkart.com
Flipkart.com founded in year 2007 is a no.1 shopping site in India. It is a mega online store which offers wide range of products including clothes, books and electronics. Flipkart.com was established by Mr.Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal which initially had business of selling books online.
After takeover of letsbuy.com now flipkart is largest player of e-commerce of India.

Ebay India - Corporate office – Mumbai, Maharashtra | Establishment – 1995
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.ebay.in
Ebay India is a subsidiary of Ebay.com which was founded in year 1995 in California. Globally recognized online shopping site has been operating in many countries of the world. It has unique business concept where a seller can sell the product directly to buyer. Offers used and fresh items with a wide network of international shipping.

Snapdeal - Corporate office – New Delhi, India | Establishment – 2010
Business – Online marketing and shopping | Website – www.snapdeal.com
Snapdeal is among the top online shopping sites in India started business in year 2010 headquartered in New Delhi. It is online marketing and shopping company which has existence in more than 400 cities in India. SnapDeal offers everything from local daily deals on restaurants, spas, travel to online products deals. They offer you best price with free shipping.

Jabong - Corporate office – Gurgaon, Haryana | Establishment – 2012
Business – Online shopping – fashion and Lifestyle | Website – www.jabong.com
Jabong is an online fashion store headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana. It has been a front runner in online shopping websites in India and offer attractive discounts, promotional and deals for Indian customers on many fashion, home décor and lifestyle variants.

Zoomin- Corporate office - Mumbai, Maharashtra | Establishment – 2007
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.zoomin.com
Customers can order photo prints or personalize gifts with their favorite photos and get them delivered to anywhere in India, US, UK and Canada. Now not only Photo gifts but also you can buy Camera, Mobile, Accessories and more from zoomin with discounted rate.

Firstcry - Corporate office - Pune, Maharashtra | Establishment – 2010
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.firstcry.com
Founded by IIM graduates, Supam Maheshwari and Amitava Saha. India’s largest store for Kids selling 70000+ items from 400+ top International and Indian brands.

Tradus - Corporate office – London, UK | Establishment – 1997
Business – Online Shopping & Auction | Website – www.tradus.com
Tradus is an International company that is subsidiary of Allegro group which was established in 1997. It offers wide range of wholesale and retail products online. Tradus.com is an Auction and shopping company operate in many European countries.

Junglee - Corporate office – Hyderabad, India | Establishment – 2011
Business – Online Shopping | Website – www.junglee.com
Junglee is an online website which provides electronics, lifestyle, men & women apparel, accessories, movie CD/DVD, home décor products etc. Junglee.com invites online shopping websites to display their products on their web portal. It is managed and serviced by Amazon.com which is considered world’s giant online shopping website.

Homeshop18 - Corporate office – Noida, Uttar Pradesh | Establishment – 2008
Business – Media and Online Shopping | Website – www.homeshop18.com
Homeshop18 is a Network 18 group company which was established in the year 2008. It is an online shopping website and retail distribution network company which is ranked among the top 10 online shopping company in India.

Shopclues - Corporate office – Silicon Valley, California | Establishment – 2011
Business – Online Shopping | Website – www.shopclues.com
USA based online shopping website was founded by Sandeep Aggarwal in the year 2011.

Yebhi - Corporate office – Gurgaon, Haryana | Establishment – 2009
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.yebhi.com
It deals in many top national & international brands and products such as footwear, fashion, accessories and jewelry.

Myntra - Corporate office - Bengaluru, Karnatak | Establishment – 2007
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.myntra.com
Online retailer of lifestyle and fashion products. Myntra offers T-shirts, Shoes, watches and more at discounted price.

Infibeam - Corporate office - Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Establishment – 2007
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.infibeam.com
Platform offers Buy Mobile Phones, Books, Apparel, Jewelry, Cameras, Watches, Send Gifts to India, New/ Used Cars & Bikes in India a report says 40 lakh visits per month by Indians on this site

Amazon India - Corporate office - Seattle, WA | Establishment – 2013
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.amazon.in
Online shopping for Books, Mobile Phones, Computers, Cameras, Toys & Games, Baby Products, Personal Care Appliances, Health Care Devices, Watches, Fashion Jewelry, Beauty, Kindle E-Readers, Kindle accessories, E-Books, Movies & TV and Home & Kitchen

Futurebazaar - Corporate office - Gurgaon, WA | Establishment – 2013
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.futurebazaar.com
Is owned and operated by Future Bazaar India Ltd, offers you wide range with good price The people of behind this company are same from bigbazaar, pantaloon and ezone.

Indiatimes Shopping
Business – Online shopping | Website – www.shopping.indiatimes.com
Has a wide array of products that range from electronic items to products related to health & beauty, home appliances, fashion, music, movies and games.

One Coin - for all your cards

2013-11-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

There are many digital wallet systems that work with our smartphones today, but sometimes, having the physical card to swipe at the counter can be more convenient and takes much less time. Besides, not all shops will accept the type of digital wallet you use. That said, lugging around your credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, gift cards, etc can be a drag.

We have here a handy alternative called Coin.

Despite its name, Coin is a card, and it carries a magnetic stripe like all your other cards. It works like them too — you can swipe or scan it like you would your loyalty cards, membership cards, credit cards etc when you make your purchases. The difference is, you just need this one master card to do it all.
Inserting Card Information

To use Coin, first you need to insert your card information into it. To do this, you’ll need itssmartphone app (available on iOS and Android) along with a smartphone credit card reader.

Just swipe your card through the reader (dongle) and take a picture of the front and back of that card. The information will be sent to Coin via Bluetooth 4.0 and you can store as many cards as you want.

To use a card on a purchase, select the appropriate card to use via the button on Coin. Coin will display the cards you have stored in there one at a time. Pick the card you want and swipe away.

According to the official website, the card selector button is stiff, which means that no accidental card changes will occur when you hand it over to the cashier.
Security Features

You might feel that the idea to store the details of all your cards in Coin a little unsafe, but there are a few built-in security features that can help ease your mind.

Coin is paired to your smartphone with Low Energy Bluetooth 4.0. Whenever it gets separated too far away from your smartphone, an alarm will be triggered to notify you that your Coin has been misplaced.

If Coin gets stolen and leaves the connectivity period of your smartphone for too long, it willautomatically deactivate itself, rendering it useless. How far or how long Coin is separated before this is triggered can be set via the app.

Your online Coin account, mobile app and the device itself use 128-bit or 256-bit encryption for all storage and communication to ensure your card information is safe. Coin also doesn’t display your entire credit card number — together with its encryption, this makes it harder for your card to get skimmed.
Limitations

Batteries in Coin can last around two years of daily usage, and you will have to replace it with a new one if you want to continue using Coin. Coin can work outside of the U.S. but users are advised to bring their cards as backup, just in case. Coin does not support chip and pin cards, however, future generations of Coin will include EMV.

Coin is available in two colors (Snow and Midnight), and is currently available for pre-order at a price of $55 (inclusive of shipping fee). It will reach you during the summer of 2014. The current introductory price of $55 is limited to early birds as Coin will retail at $100.