dGeneralist

Farewell dGeneralist

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 12:09:00 +0000

Today, +Audrey Wright and I decided to leave the blog alone. At least for now. We have bigger projects and a lot of work to do and we feel +dGeneralist like a huge burden.

We liked the ride, but Blogspot is a shitty platform. Who knows, we might move to Wordpress or something better. Don't know why I chose it, but we are all sorry right now. To make the smallest changes it take a lot of effort. The whole visual style is directly on the page, so every time someone loads the blog, it loads all of the CSS, but not from a separate file.

Also, the redirects. It was co.uk then .com, then .co.uk again and it was blogger, not blogspot. Google can't make up its mind. It's bad for optimisation.

This is not a final Goodbye. We will still post from time to time, but there won't be Silent Wednesday every week. There won't be regular posts (not that we had any of these lately). We will just write when we have something big to say.

I hope Audrey can say something more touching.

Silent Wednesday 60 - R.I.P. Internet Explorer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:00:00 +0000

How Proper Video Marketing Is Done

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 06:32:00 +0000

I'm sure at least some of you are dealing with some form of marketing. I'm also sure, all of those have read countless marketing advice blogs and industry tips and tricks. And while some of them are proper and deserve time spent, most articles and videos you're going to watch are utter fertilizer.

Today I woke up to a splendid example of how you do marketing using mother's day as a leverage. One of Geoff's clients produced a video about mother's day using a very unique and creative angle.

Normally, you'd expect them to mention your mother and talk about how good your mother is going to feel if you buy her your services. At least I expected this much. I'll let you see the twist in the video below.

Well, pretty obvious now, if they take a good care of THEIR mothers, won't they do the same for YOURS ?

First, it's sweet to show some employee recognition. Whoever the company is, a cleaning lady doesn't exactly make millions of pounds. It's hard work, and the wage maybe fair, but they're definitely not something spectacular. Showing this good will gesture on a special day in a woman's calendar is a good morale booster and creates loyal workers that will serve you well.

Second, showing a humane side to your business is often hard. If you run your business with a soft hand, you're going to get exploited - A LOT. If you're too heartless about it, your company is going to get the "they're satan" treatment.
This is a good example of how successful businesses with large brands can go down to the customers level and show them they're still humans. It builds consumer trust and adds an emotional value to the brands name.

The message: "On Mother's day, we took care of the Mothers who usually take care of others."
This is a prime example of what a slogan should look like. It's exact, direct, influencing and it even rhymes ! All in one line.

Dinosaurs Which Are More Joke-Worthy Than The T-Rex

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:55:00 +0000

"T-Rex hates pushups"

Aren't we a bit tired by all the Tyrannosaurus Rex jokes? OK, we get that the poor predator can't go to the toilet, can't use paper, can't take a selfie or it can't work out. The T-Rex was ferocious and could have killed you without using his arms. It was a big killing machine.

That's why I decided to give you a list of dinosaurs which deserve more mockery than the Tyrannosaurus.

Carnotaurus

To be honest, the Carnotaurus looks really awesome. It has devil horns right above the eyes, it has many teeth and it's a dangerous predator. It's quite fast and it could jump higher than you would expect.

But look at it's arms! They are barely visible. You have all this scary looks and then your prey notices the arms and starts laughing. Maybe that was the main strategy of this carnivore. Distracting you with laughter.

Mononykus

Talking about small arms... This little guy (1 meter long) is practically one unlucky creature. The Carnotaurus might have comically small front limbs, but at least it's a big-ass predator. This one is basically a chicken.

You know how there are creatures which exists just to feed other, bigger creatures. This is a perfect example. A running chicken with small arms. But it could run in high speeds and it usually hunted (yes, it's a predator) during the night. So it wasn't as pathetic as you think.

Probably a few of these could eat a child.

Tsintaosaurus

The Tsintaosaurus is all right with proportions. Limbs are okay, looks like a regular herbivore with one small detail.

It has a dildo on the head.

You might say that this bone on the forehead is a majestic horn, it's unicorn-like and probably has magical skills. But it really looks like a dildo. It even has balls-shaped thingies at the bottom of the shaft. And scientists have still got no clue, why a dinosaur would need a boner there.

Deinocheirus

Look at this interesting specimen. There is nothing majestic in it. It looks like a fat version of a skinnier dinosaur, but this is its default looks.

And it has this posture, like the Deinocheirus is always ready to steal something. It "possessed the longest forelimbs known for any bipedal dinosaurs". It was made to steal sh*t!

Therizinosaurus

Let's meet Deinocheirus's cousin - the Therizinosaurus. It is even uglier and bigger. The friends call him Fred, short for the Freddy Krueger of the Dinosaurs.

Have you seen its claws? They are around 1 meter long. That's longer than half of your body (if you are not a basketball/volleyball player). It looks scary, but thankfully it was herbivorous. Still, I wouldn't want to get on the bad side of this ugly bast3rd.

Kosmoceratops

This is the ancestor of our favourite Triceratops. If it wasn't for this clown, dinosaur movies would be a lot duller. But they really looked funny and kind of unfinished.

Look at it... It looks like your old drunken uncle Bob. With the big nose and the small eyes, looking at you, but not actually seeing you. And that horn on top of the nose looks broken. Poor uncle Bob.

Rhinorex

Rhinorex, aka Jimmydurantesaurus, is a dinosaur with not much of a history. You probably know it by the name "That dinosaur with the nose". Even the name is not very original - rhin means nose (from Greek) and Rex is king. King of the noses... poor thing.

Longisquama

This is a really, really small dinosaur. Yet, it can still pass as a dinosaur and it certainly should be in the list of funny prehistoric reptiles.

Dinosaurs With Stupid Names

Even if you look good, your name might be something to joke about. So here is a list of dinosaurs, which where hated by their mothers.

Scrotum humanum - you probably know it as Megalosaurus. But the first scientific name given was Scrotum Humanum. The first bone they found of this dino looked a lot like a human scrotum, so...
Technosaurus - Although, it's a really nice name for a DJ or a Call of Duty nickname, it's actually a name for a dinosaur.
Microraptor - no bigger than a chicken. And it actually had feathers.
Erectopus - Literal translation - Upright foot. It has nothing to do with what you thought.
Drinker - that's the actual name of it. Named after Edward Drinker Cope. It didn't have a lot of choices in life.
Gasosaurus - when it was nervous it played the one man salute. That's why everyone avoided it and they gave the nickname Gasosaurus.
Irritator - it's part of the same family our well-known Spinosaurus comes from. It irritate some people back in the day, so they got really furious and gave it that name.
Sinusonasus - I don't need to explain why it's funny.
Piatnitzkysaurus - nothing funny here, but it's really hard to pronounce it.

Asphyxia: An Innovative and Gorgeous Audio-Visual Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 08:28:00 +0000

As.phyx.ia is an innovative short film combining motion-capture technology and contemporary dance to create a breathtaking audio-visual experience.
The project is lead by Maria Takeuchi in charge of Frederico Phillips and performed by Shiho Tanaka.

The project was created by using two Xbox One Kinect motion sensors. They captured the movement of the dancer - Shiho Tanaka, which made the backbone of the entire film. Frederico Phillips, who was in charge of the graphics from start to finish used that data in a very intriguing way.

He forwarded it to a special 3D package that focuses on procedural generation. That means a series of commands are layered one after the other in a chain. Each of the commands can be interacted with throughout the entire time. Each command builds on top of the other before it and allows for consistent effects to be created and applied to the entire scene.

This allowed him to transform the digital image of the dancer into this beautiful sculpture of interconnected points, which is the focus of the film as well.

Further, he built a near-realistic scene with a very dim and omnious atmosphere to further enhance the effect and have an environment to place the character in.

The audio you hear is also custom composited by Maria Takeuchi. She created after the film was fully made and rendered, so she can adapt each tone and rhythm to the picture. This way the audio and visual perceptions correlate and establish a mesmerizing experience for the viewer.

Watch their "making of" video to learn more about their process.

I'm delighted to see more innovative and creative projects using the available and cheap technology out there. Just noting that motion capture equipment is pretty expensive on it's own, not counting the software you need to work with the data. Figuring out that two Xbox One Kinects would be enough to drive the project is a small victory on it's own.

Furthermore, I love how they decided to use procedural 3D generation to create a beautiful figure. Procedurals in the 3D world are highly regarded because they are fast, light, highly adaptable and highly scalable assets. However, they are very hard to work with and set up, so not too many of the artists out there can do it.

The trio gets all my cudos for this project.

Finally, you can go and check out more details about the project and their contacts at: http://www.asphyxia-project.com/

Apps You Might Have Missed in 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:26:00 +0000

Here is the original article - Geoff Smith's blog in Carbon made

There are millions of iOS apps out there and there are new coming out every day. It's absurd to review each and every application coming out, but there are some that deserve the attention. Still, you might have missed some of them. Here is a short list of the one of the best apps for 2014, which you might have missed.

Next Glass

This is a huge innovation for beer and wine drinkers. Many people are afraid of tasting something new, because they don't want to experiment. But with this app you can understand if this new brand will be good according to your taste. You simply scan the label and the app will tell you whether you will love the drink or not. It is all compared to your previous likes and some personal data.

And another better option – if you have shared friends, you can check if they will love the beer your buying. This is great if you are having a party.

Shortcut

This one is really hard to find in Google, but you will easily find it in the app store. It's like Uber, but for barbers. You book a local barber and he/she will come to do your haircut. Really sweet if you are a busy person with no free time.

The app is free, but there is a downside – the haircuts are really pricey. One session can start from $75, but you can make it for several people. Oh, and it's only for New Yorkers.

GoFantastic

Speaking of ordering services and saving time, there is a new app on the London market called GoFantastic. If you don't have time to do your own chores, simply book them from your mobile phone. There are various services like cleaning, handyman, gardening, removals and more.

The app is free, but the services are paid (of course). So far it's evolving quite fast, but you can use it only in London. There are some rumours they will try to expand to Australia. Who knows…

Proun+

Another game that combines art and fun together. This time it's not about the sound, but the visuals. The levels are basically inspired by paintings of modern artists. You are controlling a ball and you have to avoid obstacles. Really relaxing and pleasing, but like every arty thing, it's not free.

2 Cars

A free game that is perfect for your number two time. Although, you might get too concentrated on the game, instead of doing your work. You have to control the two cars (red and blue) at the same time and avoid from crashing.

Really simplistic game, but quite fun to play. Just because you are bad at it the first time, doesn't mean it's no good. Keep trying.

Dumb Ways to Die 2

Do you remember Dumb Ways to Die? Of course you do, because everybody used to play it. It is really fun and cute, even though those cute creatures died brutally, if you weren't good at the game.

Now there is a second game. There are even more dumb ways to die and they are all joyful and happy like in the first one.

Timeful

The perfect organiser. It's a calendar and a to-do list in one. What's so special about this app? There is a very complex algorithm which calculates when your appointments and habits are most likely to happen, based on location, availability and most productive hours of the day.

It's so smart that it learns from your behaviour. The more you use it, the smarter it will get. This way you will be able to free some time for more important things and you will never be late with anything.

Pixelmator

It is said that Pixelamor is the best photo editing software for iOS. It's not free, but if you image editor, this is the one to go for. The list of tools you can use is enormous. You can edit, create or even paint pictures.

You can even use Photoshop files and share your finished work with the internet.

Wiper

With so many chat apps you can get confused what's good and what's bad. This one is a bit different from your Viber and WhatsApp. You don't only have the regular text and emoticon options, but you have the Wipe button. This allows you to delete the whole conversation, not only on your device, but on the decide of the person you are talking to. If you had this option on your Messenger, your life would be a lot simpler, don't you think?

PhotoMath

Perfect for students who just don't get math. It will not help people get smarter, but it will help the world to have better answers to their equations. It will find that X everyone is talking about and it can even find the Y. It can't do the hardest calculations, but for simpler things, it's really effective.

Passible

This is a main competitor to 1Password. You can store all of your passwords at one place. No need to remember anything, just add it to the list and the app will remember it for you. And there is a build browser, so when you use it, the app will autofill all the necessary info. Really convenient.

Grub

Remember the classic snake game? It is one of the best mobile games ever. Even the simplest version on your first Nokia were absolutely superb. Now, you can install Grub and enjoy a modern version.

Of course, it has better graphics and since iPhones don't have buttons, you control the snake by moving your phone. You have to avoid the wolves (oh yes) and hedgehogs and eat apples to grow.

Wayfare

Not everyone had a penpal, but I hope you are familiar with the idea. You simply connect with some strange person, who is located somewhere around the world. You exchange info and you learn new things about countries and living there. Sometimes you can make real connections.

With this mobile app it's a lot easier than with writing letters. It's not as personal, but you can learn more and more things this way. There are photo challenges each day and week. This way you can learn new things about different spots around the world.

Is there some app you would like to share with the public? Tell us what 2014 apps people shouldn't miss.

3 Super Effective Social Media Marketing Tricks and Strategies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 15:20:00 +0000

Small businesses now have the opportunity to make use of social media marketing strategies to connect with and engage existing and potential customers but only few entrepreneurs manage to actually employ these tools successfully.

Is this your case?
You've done all sorts of marketing. You're posting 20-30% off discounts, you've tried social commerce, you're putting your logo and your company name up in Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest 2-3 times per day. You've even spent a lot of money on AdWords and Facebook Ads. And nothing is working.

How come you're not getting any sales? And what's worse you're not even getting any followers. You're not getting any people you can repeat your messages out to. What are you doing wrong?

First of all, if you've asked this question to yourself, don't feel bad. Your case is extremely common. Just because you have access to the mediums of communication doesn't mean that you're actually doing the right communicating.

Why discounting isn't working? - Posting up 20% discounts, 30% off coupons, using social commerce - that's not marketing. That's called Promotions.

Why Facebook and Pinterest sharing isn't working? - Making your logo and your URL visible in social media 2 or 3 times per day is not marketing. That's called Branding.

Why your Adwords campaign isn't working? - Paying money for space with Adwords, Facebook Ads or Youtube promoted videos isn't marketing. That's called Advertising.

Social Media Marketing Tricks and Strategies For Your Business

So basically you've done everything except marketing. Now, how to do it right? I believe this information will be very useful for many of you.

1. Discounts vs Value Exposure

Instead of discounting the cost of your product, demonstrate its value!

Psychologically what happens when you discount a new product from an unknown company is people immediately think:

"Oh, no one's buying this product that I've never heard of from this company that I've never heard of."

Discounts only work on products that people know from companies that they've heard of. Otherwise customers doubt its authenticity.

So instead of doing that you better reveal the value of your product. When's the last time you did a video about your product where you demonstrated it working? When's the last time you actually posted a competitive matrix of feature by feature spreadsheet comparing your product against those of your two or three competitors including the price just like a consumer report does?

Demonstrate the effect of your product! Let's say you're selling jeans. The effect is not that they cover someone's butt. The effect is when you walk by someone and he or she says "Wow.. what a gorgeous ass!".

Figure out the key selling point of your product and demonstrate it in real life.

2. Twitter and Google+ Presence Techniques.

Instead of doing the branding and getting people to remember your logo or your website address, get them to remember their relationship with you!

People buy from people they like.. Not from logos they want to stick on a bike! You can use social media to build relationships with thousands and thousands of people, all at once. And it's not about blasting out messages at them. It's a real simple 2 step process since you obviously don't have time to hold 1000 conversations per hour. First thing you do is use a vicarious relationship building strategy. Second is how you use it.

When's the last time you did a search for all the people with a problem that your product solves?

Create a search filter in Twitter and Google+ for a question that someone would ask where the answer is your product.

Let's say for instance you sell low calorie Eccles Cakes. What question would people ask to arrive at your product? Try a search filter that's: who (sells/makes/bakes/delivers) Eccles Cakes.

You'd be amazed to find thousands of people who ask in their blogs, Twitter and Google+: "Who sells low calorie Eccles Cake?". Answer them! But don't sell! That just comes off spammy.

Instead send them a recipe of how they can bake that cake all on their own. Then at the end of the recipe just simply put a little footnote that says "But if you'd rather not slave in the kitchen for 3 hours, you can just order it at www...".

That is how you build relationships vicariously. You show good will to one person publicly and thousands of people over the next coming months will find that piece of good will. If you manage to make them feel this warm and fuzzy towards you, they will buy from you.

Remember: People buy from people they like!

3. Facebook Presence and Ads Tricks.

Instead of liking your company, ask people to like a concept!

If you've ever tried to market in facebook and you've seen fan pages that have millions of people that have liked them, you probably have thought: "If I just blasted 1 message out to all of the fans of such page, my CTR, my conversion rate and my sales would just skyrocket". And you'd be right.

The average length of time that a message posted on a facebook fan page ends up on someone's wall from 8 to 24 hours. If you try the same thing on Twitter the message stays visible in someone's stream for about an hour which is nothing compared to the visibility that you get from Facebook.

So how do you get a million or at least hundreds of thousands people to like your Facebook page?

There's a technique that I don't know why I haven't seen to be shared anywhere and I will make it available for you now.

There's a facebook page for example that's called: "My room was clean, but then i needed something....".

This page has 6,540,576 likes untill this very moment. So maybe you wonder why would a page called like this has so many likes. Who started that page? Who would have benefited by starting a page like that?

Think of it from the reverse side. Imagine if a company like Fantastic Cleaners, for example, had started a fan page for cleaning in London. How many people would actually click "Like" on a fan page for the company "Fantastic Cleaners"? Very very few people. Because they know in fact that they're going to get spammed with ads. So you need to reverse the psychology and instead of asking people to like your company, you ask them to like a concept, an aspect of their life. Now it becomes relevant, related and non spammy when you post to your millions of followers that: "Hey, these guys are now offering 30% discount for house cleaning if you book on Saturdays." + an eye catching relevant image. Does that make sense?

Let's see another example:
If you are, for instance, a cosmetic surgery clinic and you are to start a Facebook Ads campaign for potential customers to like your page, how many people would click "Like"? Just think about that for a second. Would you want your face to show up on both the news feed of your friends and on a page displaying that you liked a plastic surgery clinic? That would imply that you've actually been their client.

However, what if that page instead was named "Ski Jump Noses" or "High Cheekbones"? How many people like high cheekbones? Almost everyone right? Tens of thousands of Facebook users would start clicking "Like". Now you have the targeted demographic that likes high cheekbones. You've got these people subscribed and hooked to your page and you can blast relevant on point messages to them.

These methods are less intrusive than older marketing methods, and because social media relies on people being, well, social, they turn out to be a powerful and an effective way to spread your message across the wide web. So, if you are smart when using these tools and patient enough, success has no other choice but to knock on your door.

Glad to share my experience and I hope you’ll find it useful in your own endeavours.

Why Flat Design Works From The Eyes Of A Non-professional

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 12:19:00 +0000

This article is a repost from my original publication at Medium: Why Flat Design Works From The Eyes Of A Non-professional Please, direct any attribution to the link above. As for the content, it's exactly the same, so enjoy !
Remember when bevel, gloss and drop shadow were three required effects for your design to succeed ?
I do. It used to be really cool to get that semi-realistic effect on your font or buttons. It was the prime example of a graphical environment and people really digged it.

However, that came to an end last year, when a new trend won the popularity contest — flat design. It’s everywhere — on websites, infographics, illustrations, application UI’s. I’m waiting for the moment it goes into games as well, if it’s not already and I’ve missed it.

What is flat design ?

It’s an uprising design trend in 2013. It’s main focus is to use simple shapes and flat colours to create a user interface or a visual environment for a website or application. It tries to represent visual information in the most simple and easy to digest way possible. That means no 3D, no textures, limited shadows, gradients, patterns and other visual effects.

It gained popularity for a simple reason — it complements UX in one of the most efficient ways possible — it simplifies it. With technology advancing, our applications and platforms become increasingly intelligent. They now serve a multitude of purposes and allow for more actions to be executed with the simple user interface.

A website is no longer a page of text on the Internet. Now it has multimedia, tools, widgets, various buttons for various actions. All this bogs down the user and complicates his experience with the product.

The 21st century is one of fast living and no time to spare. If you want to fit within the 24/7 time frame you have to be efficient and fast and that applies to every aspect of our life. From the news website we go through with our morning coffee, to the weather application on our smartphone. Visual graphics play a strong role in here. They can either distract you from the prime reason you do what you do, or they can guide you and improve your experience.

Ten years from now, we enjoyed blinking icons, flashy menus and cool transition animations. But today, they only slow us down and distract us from what’s really important. For example, you visit a blog with the intention to read a post or two. In that case flashy graphics will take you away from that prime reason and only waste your time. And since wasting time is a taboo in today’s world, those graphics no longer apply.

A commercial website, offering you services or products will want you to look at their catalogue or service descriptions, no their fantastic navigation bar. Keep the graphics light, let the eye focus on that booking form.

Another consideration is that graphics are no longer as fascinating as they used to be. As a graphics artist (sort of, I'm learning to be one)I can give you countless examples of complete photorealism created from scrap entirely digitally. With that said, if we can imitate life to absolute perfection, there is no bigger milestone we can conquer. Graphics simply can’t surprise us anymore and if they are in the way, then all the better reason to strip them down and allow the more important factors to play, like content.

Note that this example doesn't take in consideration the quality of content you are consuming.

So, where does flat design fit in here?

Everywhere. Flat websites are brilliant for the purposes of presenting fast and easy to digest content to the users. And take in consideration that it’s only a visual aesthetic.

A lot of people confuse flat with minimalist and while they might look similar, they’re quite different in purpose. Minimalist is to strip something to the very bone, with just the minimal functionality to serve it’s purpose.

You might say notepad is a minimalist text editor. It allows you to type and edit text — that’s it. However, Microsoft Office 2013 allows you to integrate all kinds of media and formatting to your text. From colours, to layouts, to graphics. It holds all the power of it’s predecessor and even more. The difference is, it’s visual theme is no longer bogging you down and distracting you from what’s really important — editing the content.

Freshness plays another role here. If we look at the Microsoft example again, each new GUI system through the years added a touch of realism on it’s predecessor. That trend continued into Windows Vista and Windows 7. And yes, they look cool. But their graphics were somewhat expected. And then BAM, Windows 8 comes out and it looks nothing like the members of the lineage.

This reboot from realistic (skeumorphic) design to flat is new and fresh. That’s why the theme is now perceived as modern by the users. This looks now brings the notion of advancement, even though it’s the exact opposite in therms of the technology needed to create it.

And the fact that it’s simple and clean leaves a feel of honesty into the product. To elaborate, you are not trying to hide any flaws behind impressive graphics. You rather let your content speak for itself, while the graphical environment is there to hold everything together.

Well, as every train has its passengers, flat is not meant for everyone and you can’t expect it to compensate for something else on your website, or to immediately solve your design problems.

In the end, flat is here to stay in my own opinion at least through 2014.

Edit from 2015: I have now learned much more about web design than is shown and written in this article. I'm only reposting it, so I can do a follow up piece soon. If you liked it, stay tuned. Audrey, out.

Silent Wednesday 59 - Rally Drift Gifs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 13:28:00 +0000

Silent Wednesday 58 - A Glimpse at the World Beneath

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 12:41:00 +0000

Silent Wednesday 57 - Satisfying Gifs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:00:00 +0000

7 Reasons Renting In London Sucks Big Time

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:22:00 +0000

So, I've been bashing this renting thing in London for a while. While I believed to have give pretty thorough arguments as to why it absolutely blows to rent in the capital, a lot of friends outside of the UK still keep asking me if it's really that bad.

Just a quick scroll at Reddit today made me make this post. So, beginning with my inspiration..

"£160 / 1br - Double room in KINGS CROSS (NW1) - £160 !!!"

Yeah, if you push the armchair a bit and squint your eyes a little harder and focus all your imagination on it, you can almost open the third section of the wardrobe..

"£110 / 1br - An attractive single studio in the heart of West Kensington"

Very own shower room comes as an exclusive feature these days...

"£150 A bright and modern room available to rent (Fulham- Imperial Wharf)"

Only 600 ppm for this lovely brand new double bed room. Toilet also comes with a ticket machine so calmly manner can be upheld on those critical workday mornings...

"£95 A resplendent studio just off the popular North End Road (West Kensington)"

Yeah, no worries, very own shower is great. You can even go number one in there all the time without waiting times.. Good offer, no ?

"Lovely Self contained Studio furnished or un-furnished minutes to Brick lane and Shoreditch Station"- £1,200 per week

Plenty of room in there for a single mattress...You only need to move it out of the way when you're not sleeping... And for 1,200 per week only.. What a bargain......

"Ensuite room in professional only house crossharbour walking distance to canary wharf E14"

Oh..? So it's for professionals ONLY.. It's alright, we can charge £2600 per month for a single bedroom with ensuite. I mean, they're professionals, aren't they ?

Well, I can keep going, but I think the point is clear. It took me only about 2 hours of casually browsing through Craigslist and Gumtree.
Obviously, there are thousands of ads similar to these with absurd prices for absurd amenities..

As Geoff said, minimum wage for a 21 year old is around £260 per week. What chances do young and aspiring adults have to live a normal life in London, when they are up against this kind of ludicrous housing..

And for finale, let's not forget the ever popular "cupboardstudio flat with en-suite water tank and parquet"...

The Worst Possible Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 13:18:00 +0000

Time is short and Valentine's Day nears. Some people have already prepared with their presents, others haven't. Some people plan their perfect gifts weeks before the actual event, others procrastinate and act as fast as they can in the final hours.

Acting fast often clouds your judgement and makes you do terrible or wrong hasty decisions. If you are superstitious you have another problem - this year the 13th of February is... Friday.

Dear procrastinators, people having limited free time and everyone else, here's a lists of the most awful St Valentine's Day gifts you should avoid at all cost.

1. Same or Similar Past Year's Gifts

A present has to be unique. No doubt about that. You wouldn't want your partner to think that you didn't put any effort at all when selecting his/her gift.

Of course there are some exceptions, say, a trip somewhere you haven't been before. Or maybe your partner wouldn't mind a sequel of a book or a movie.

2. Gift Cards

Again this could leave the impression that you didn't put an effort or thought to look for a present. Or even worse - you don't know your beloved well enough to know what's exciting for them.

3. Diet Stuff or Fitness Card

Are you implying that your partner is fat, eats too much and doesn't take proper care of their body? There are other ways to tell this to your beloved, just don't do it on St Valentine's Day.

4. Kitchen Appliances

Not exactly a romantic gift but it's worth mentioning. Some people are inexperienced with presents and although they buy appliances with good intentions, it might be offending.

It's probably best if you avoid anything with an electric cord.

5. Nothing Self-Serving

The gift you are going to buy for your valentine must big for them and them only.

So if you are planning on buying a TV, PC, PS4 or any tech it's probably best if you don't get them as a present.

6. Heart-Shaped Cliches

Despite it appears natural, avoid getting jewellery or anything in the shape of a heart. It's not unique nor surprising. It's probably something everybody expects.

7. Mockery

No mocking gifts that could offend the other person. This includes no how-to books, recipes, <...> for dummies etc.

For example if you're a guy don't give car driving or parts manuals, or handyman guides. If you are a girl don't give self-esteem and confidence tutorial books.

No sexist gifts! Men are better than women in some fields and vice versa.

The last 3 are considered highly individual and exceptions can be easily made.

8. Perfumes and Cosmetics

The idea is bad mainly because there's nothing special in it. Everybody can get cosmetics whenever they want.

Some might even find in personal - "Why is he giving me a perfume? Do I stink that much" or "He gave me mascara, am I so repulsive?".

But if you know what you're doing, nobody will ever turn down a £200 perfume.

9. Clothes

Again nothing special about clothes. How are clothes related to love anyway? Except when they are off.

However if you are sure your valentine wouldn't mind jacket or a dress you could try. On your own risk that is.

10. Lingerie and Other Sex Related Stuff

St Valentine is all about showing your love in a romantic way. With gifts like these you are too straight forward and kill the romance.

Imagine what happens if you don't get the right size lingerie. Oh God.

Ever Wondered About The Best Valentine's Day Surprises?

Worry not, they are listed in:

Ten Best Ways To Make Your Valentine's Day Awesome

Silent Wednesday 56 - GIF-ITI

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 15:46:00 +0000

Creator: INSA

8 Most Ridiculous Reasons for Divorce

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:21:00 +0000

Some might say that the meaning of life is to find your soulmate, create a family, have children and help humanity exist for a few more years. But sometimes (according to statistics around 42% in England) those goals end up somewhere at phase two. Divorce is something not so common these days and the numbers are getting higher.

But what is the main reason for this? Why 42% end in divorce? Who cares... but the one thing I know is that there are some hilarious reasons out there and you deserve to know them.

Here are the most ridiculous reason for dissolution.

Cartoons are For Life

You know how your girlfriend never understood why you love Pokemon so much? It's not a big reason, but it's something that bugs you. Well, a Japanese couple separated, because the wife didn't love her husband's favourite cartoon. I understand... I couldn't live with a person who didn't like Scooby Doo either.

The Devil in I

Some people are religious, other people are religulous. Have you ever though that your wife is acting weird? Maybe she overreacts a bit more than usual. Or maybe her eyes are glowing in the dark and suddenly can turn her head 360 degrees. Don't what exactly happened, but a man from Dubai divorced his wife, because he though she was possessed by the Devil.

At least this is a reasonable explanation for her monthly mood swings.

Too Much Bonking

Some men complain that they never have actual intercourse with their wives. They always have a headache or are too tired. Well, this Indian gentleman couldn't complain about the lack of sex at all. In fact he complained about the opposite.

His wife was so naughty and energetic that she wanted to do it everywhere possible. She wanted it all the time and he had to take some pills to keep up with her. Because of that he got a low self-esteem (because of the pills, I mean) and that was the reason for separation.

Let's Go to Prison

Every couple uses some cute little nicknames. Ducky, bunny, honey are the usual suspects. But a Saudi Arabian dude decided to name his wife Guantanamo Bay in his phone book. You know, like that maximum security prison. When the wife found out, the divorce was inevitable.

Polly Wants a Cracker

You might have heard of this one.

Talking parrots are always fun. But when you are a cheating bastard, this could be problematic. This cheating hubby was having some naughty time with his mistress. The secret was well kept, but one day the parrot decided to tell the truth to the wife.

The bird survived.

The Crazy Cat Lady

Cat ladies are usually single women who get hundreds of cats to feel wanted. In this case the woman had a husband, but decided to become a crazy cat lady anyway. So she adopted around 550 cats and there was no more space for the guy. So he left.

No Undies

Everyone has their annoying habit. Some people love to eat with their mouths open, others chew their nails, but this guy just didn't like wearing underwear.

The cool part is that his wife found out after the marriage. She find it really repulsive and filed for divorce. But the dude said that no matter how much he loved his wife, he will never wear underwear. This is how true love dies.

Facebook is Life

Here is something more modern. Do you know how girls get crazy sometimes when you forget to like her comment or, let's say, forget to change your relationship status the second you kiss? Yeah, well, this man forgot to change his status to "married", so the wife helped him and made him single again.

He is a businessman and Facebook wasn't in his top priority list, but hey, Facebook = real life. How dare you stay single in the social network?!

Heroes of the Storm - A Player's First Impressions

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 13:25:00 +0000

Greetings dear MOBA fans!

Yesterday, the third of February 2015, I got home from a busy day at work. As usual my first job was to see what useless crap people posted on Facebook and look at my e-mail. I opened my e-mail and what do you think I saw?

“Blizzard” finally granted me access to their “Heroes of the Storm” closed beta. I was waiting for that moment since the beginning of the game’s test period release a few months ago.

Alas, I got it now and I am very happy about it. Thanks Oba… I mean Blizzard.

I had a few hours left before bedtime and I decided to try this innovative game out. I do play the two best world renowned MOBAs - DotA and LoL but I did not want to expect anything from HOTS.

So the game is installed and I was ready to kick some butt.

My first positive impression was the intro movie. It was amazing to see how characters from different times, games, worlds, planets and dimensions cross paths on the battlefield. The music and graphic effects which contributed to the fantastic feeling I had when watching this prelude. I just knew I’d like this game already.

Next off was the tutorial which I had to play with Raynor - a noob-friendly ranged carry type of hero. Guided by the mighty Uther I quickly got used to the game and as I mentioned before - I have experience with MOBA games.

theruleofthegames.tumblr.com

What I loved about the tutorial is that it was actually very humorous and descriptive. The verbal battle between Raynor and Diablo was hilarious. And then came Stitches (although I prefer to call him Pudge) who made it even funnier. Damn, I was even more consumed by the desire to start playing the actual game. But you know, you got to learn the objectives and surroundings before you venture into the real action.

So some minutes later Uther taught me all I need to know about HOTS and it was time to try it out.

Pre-Game Menu

Easy to navigate. Before the match starts you can pick your desired hero so you don’t waste time doing that in-game.

You can view every hero, his skills and talents as well as the game shop with its skins.

You choose what mode to play and head directly to the battlegrounds.

Hero Selection

You are surely aware by now that the heroes you play are characters of all Blizzard games: Diablo, StarCraft and WarCraft.

Since the game is still in closed beta, there isn’t a rich selection of heroes yet. There are around 30 available at this time. But for a new player this is a perfect opportunity to explore the game mechanics and try out some of the characters.

Maps

There are 6 different maps in this game. Although your mission always remains the same - destroy the enemy structures - these maps have secondary objectives. You collect different types of resources like gold coins or seeds and exchange them for powerful buffs or to get help from an NPC who nukes your opponent’s base.

I haven’t played every map yet but the ones I’m talking about are: Blackheart’s Bay and Garden of Terror. You can view all battlegrounds at battle.net website.

Neutral Creep and Environment

As in all MOBA games or at least the famous ones, there are neutral monster camps in the jungle area who grant additional experience and resources. What makes these camps unique though is how you benefit by defeating a certain pack of creeps.

In addition to the experience you gain, on defeat these monsters join your forces and aid your creeps demolish the enemy buildings. There are both ranged and melee ones. There’s also a powerful boss who’s hard to beat but worth the effort. You cannot control these monsters and once they die it takes time for them to respawn back at their camp.

There are bushes in the jungle that, just like in LoL, hide you from enemy sight and you can use them to your advantage for a surprise engage or escape tools.

Mounts and Townportal

Mounts in MOBA you ask?

Well yes, there are. And the idea of having them is awesome too. This game is all about team fight presence and this way you move faster to get to your buddies. The purposes of mounts is time saving through mobility. There’s a few seconds channelling time to summon your horse.

To quickly return to your base for health and mana regeneration you use your hearthstone. This is a device which teleports you to your base after a couple of seconds channelling.

Global Experience and No Gold/Currency

This is the point where you decide if you are willing to play this game or not.

In Heroes of the Storm there’s no currency. There’s no such thing as farming. No last hitting. No items. It’s pretty straight forward - destroy the enemy’s base before they destroy yours.

Your whole team shares experience by hero, lane and neutral creep kills and structures demolished. Individual kills can only be seen in the score board. If you get a pentakill your name is not displayed - it’s a team pentakill.

If you are the type of guy that boasts with his high kill count this game is not for you.

If you seek high competitive play with high skill requirements this game is not for you.

If you are looking for a friendly, fast paced, straight forward game with almost no strategy and skill required, this is your game.

Talents

The only skill customisation option there is - the talent system. As your team progresses and levels up, you are given the choice to upgrade your skills - more damage, control impairment, healing etc. This way you better your abilities depending on the situation you find yourself in.

For example if you die too much, you can choose to steal life with your attacks or damage reduction.

Hero Roles

Warrior - melee fighters and tanks with damaging and crowd control abilities.
Assassin - ranged or melee single target damage dealers, mobile, squishy
Support - healing, damage and crowd control abilities
Specialist - specialises in structure demolishing, pushing lanes

For me roles don’t matter that much since you can play for example a damage dealing support if you choose the right talents for this purpose.

Heroes of the Storm Overall

Pros:

Noob friendly
Dynamic
Not time consuming
Various map scenarios
Fun to play, friendly community
Daily quests that give bonuses

Cons:

Limited hero development
Unlocking heroes and skins requires you to pay real money or spend a large amount of time until you get enough gold
The game is still in closed beta testing

Silent Wednesday 56 - Competitive Advertising

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 11:06:00 +0000

Not so Silent Caturday - 44 Reasons Cats Are Assholes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 13:16:00 +0000

1. The Steal Your Pancake Mix Reason

2. The Steal Your Smoked Fish Reason

3. The Steal Your Milk Reason

4. The Steal Your Sandwich Reason

5. The Raid Your Entire Fridge Reason

6. The Steal Your Pasta Reason

7. The De-bagging Your Tea Reason

8. The Snatching Your Fish Lunch Reason

9. The Stealing Your Unbaked Batch Reason

10. The De-snacking Your Coffee Reason

11. The Stalking Your Other Pets Reason

12. The Eating Your Shrimps Reason

13. The Stealing Your Catch Reason

14. The Clone and Drink Reason

15. The De-chickenizing Your Potatoes Reason

16. The Poaching Your Chocolates Reason

17. The Taking Your Toast Reason

18. The No Regrets Reason

19. The Double Latte Reason

20. The Not Giving Up Reason

21. The Handsome Swindler Reason

22. The Fuck Your Happiness Reason

23. The Get His Share Reason

24. The Take Your Share Too Reason

25. The Take Everybody's Share Reason

26. The Steal Your Child's Prize Reason

27. The Get The Last Piece Reason

28. The Snatch The Cheese Reason

29. The Ruin Your Salad Reason

30. The Ruthless My Meat Reason

31. The Eat Your Sausage Reason (don't be perverted, please)

32. The Take Your Croissant Reason

33. The Get F on Your Homework Reason

34. The Eat Your Dinner Reason

35. The Steal The Last Cookie Reason

36. The No Pizza For You Reason

37. The Take All The Panties Reason

38. The Lick Your Ham Reason

39. The Take The First Piece Reason

40. The This Fish Belongs To Me Stare Reason

41. The Salami Swammy Reason

42. The Can't Hide Anything From This Bastard Reason

43. The Fuck Your Snowman Reason

44. The Too Big To Swallow But Eat It Anyway Reason

The Not Asshole Audrey Who Links Her Sources: Bored Panda

Silent Wednesday 55 - Woll Smoth

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 11:47:00 +0000

Silly but "SECRET". Hidden London Sightseeings!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:56:00 +0000

The Neal's Yard clock

This cute creation of Andy Plant and Tim Hunkin has been a special feature of Shorts Gardens since the early 80's. The property itself is a Holland and Barrett health shop at the moment. It is a bit sad but the clock does not work properly right now..

At the time when it was in full working order water used to fall down the wall every 60 minutes and thus filling 5 cans, held by the figures at the bottom. All except one water a plant. It is the fifth one that pores water either down on the street either upon your head.

St-Martin-in-the-Fields' Weird Window

Now this is a weird one. The window at St-Martin-in-the-Fields church has one of the most unusual designs I have personally ever seen. Located near Trafalgar Square it was made by Shirazeh Houshiary. Born in Iran he is a former Turner prize nominee. Some say it resembles an basic idea of the space and time continuum, other see nothing than a mere design concept. One thing is for sure - it sure does make a difference from your regular window glass, doesn't it?

A Road Where Cars Drive the Wrong Way?

There a few London roads that actually have cars on the right but surely the Savoy Hotel's is the most peculiar one. And that's not even all! Drivers have to go anticlockwise outside the hotel. Are you peculiar of why it is so? At a certain point in time women sat on the right side of the car, behind the driver's seat. This specific property was designed so all ladies tumble straight into The Savoy without the need to walk around the vehicle.

Brixton Windmill

A windmill is by far not what you expect to see in London, but as a matter of fact there are no less than 6 of those. The Brixton Windmill is almost 200 years old. Built in the distant 1816, it was shut down in 1934 and officially restored 4 years ago in 2011. Now the property inventory has been transformed into a museum and is officially open for the public. Every here and there an property adjudicator inspects the overall condition, since the property is quite old and every here and there it requires extra resources, capital and maintenance.

Samuel Johnson's Cat is Amazing!

Quite few felines have had the honour as Samuel Johnson's cat Hodge has. You could find the statue in front of his property on Gough Square. At the time being, such a passion for a pet wasn't really familiar to the wide public, but that coud not and did not stop Samuel. "I never shall forget the indulgence with which he treated Hodge," James Boswell wrote, "He himself used to go out and buy oysters, lest the servants having that trouble should take a dislike to the poor creature". Check it out on the corner of Philpot Lane. The sculpture represents two mise fighting over a tiny piece of cheese. It has become a crucial part of London's culture inventory.

Sir John Soane's Telephone Box Mausoleum Gives Me the Chills

The K 2 phone box model has long been a symbol of London. One of the creepiest and less known secret spots in the United Kingdom capital is that of Sir John Soane's mausoleum in the churchyard of Old St Pancras. The shape of the tomb inventory was the result direct influence on Giles Gilbert Scott's design for the famous phone booths.

The City's Thinnest Property?

This peculiar building with irregular architecture became a part of the corner of South Terrace and Thurloe Square in Knightbridge a few dacades ago. It narrows to just seven feet and is sure to make visitors do a double-take. Despite its peculiar size and design, it is thought to be worth more than £2m.

The Mandela Way T-34 Tank

This peculiar tank became a part of Bermondsey during the filming of Richard the 3rd in 1995. Afterwards it was sold to Russell Gray - a famous londoner, and it is he, who has installed it where it is today - In between Mandela Way and Pages walk. The property is often repainted and the tank itself is often covered in graffiti.

Have You Ever Heard of London's Narrowest Alley?

The Brydges Place Alley narrows down to 15" and by that is proudly named London's narrowest of them all. Other sightseeing of the same rank are
the Pickering Place (the smallest square), The Dove in Hammersmith (the smallest pub) and St. Ethelburga-the-Virgin in Bishopsgate (the smallest church).

The Kyoto Garden

In a word - home of piece and tranquillity. Located in Holland park, the beautiful japanese-styled garden could be easily missed. It is a gift on behalf Kyoto's Chamber of Commerce, because of the Japanese festival, that happened in 1992.

The York House Nudes

The Naked Ladies form part of a rockery in the gardens of York House in Twickenham. At the time of the Blitz, people feared that moonlight might reflect on the statues and help the Luftwaffe find its way around London, and that's why they had to be coated in "grey sludge".

The Ear of Time Fishlock

The creator of these is called Tim Fishlock.
The eagle-eyed visitor to London could find a few of Tim's ears, located all over London. This Fishlock creation can be found on Floral Street, near Leicester Square.

The Famous 18 Moles in a Jar

Without the shadow of a doubt, one of the most weird and creepy London attractions is located in the Grand Museum of Zoology. The preserved bodies of 18 moles, placed in a jar, are an equivalent of shivers and fear.
They even have their own twitter account! Could you imagine that? Surely this is among the most cruel of public London "secrets".

The Fake Kenwood House Bridge

The beautiful bridge is without a doubt beautiful. You could find it on the banks of Thousand Pound Pond at Kenwood House property in north London. People say it resembles the set of a real theatre stage. It's merely a beautiful decorated white timber facade in a good looking property with regular maintenance.

The Faulty Lions of Trafalgar Square

The famous bronze lions are known to all, but their story isn't. Behind these magnificent sculptures lies a dynamic exciting story.
Sir Edwin Landseer had to finish the sculptures' design in 1858, but the temp of his work was rather slow and for a few years he was simply drawing sketching for the perfect concept. The legend says he was almost living in the London Zoo property, so he could study the exact habits and moves of a real lion are. Some say that Sir Edwin even kept the body of a dead lion within his studio! Only for one to be obtained he had to wait two long years for one of the London Zoo lions to pass away.. Afterwards hard sketching began. Sir Landseer had to draw fast in order to gather as much as details possible before the corpse could rot. The thing is that the artist did not manage to finish his research on lion anatomy and if we look closely, we'll see that the lions in Trafalgar Square have paws with similar properties to those of a cat, rather then to those a real lion.
The sculptures were placed in 1867. Another peculiar fact is that the sphinxs that should guard queen Cleopatra's Needle on Embankment are actually looking in the wrong direction.

Lewisham Micro Library

Without the shadow of a doubt the best micro library in Lewisham! The location of this cousy cabin is on the corner of Tyrwhitt Road, on Loampit Hill. The classic K 2 old school phone box has suffered a major update and now it's the first miniature library in the neighbourhood.
The best thing is - it's free for all! The one rule is to always leave a book, when you borrow one.
It is open both day and night for the all to use! Enjoy but make sure you follow the rules.

The fake 10 Downing Street

Not everybody cant get near the mysterious door these days. That's why we will share an uber ordinary photo of the famous 10. Adam Street, just off The Strand. The bell does not really work and there are at least 10 different people that used the address as a fake one.

In Conclusion.

Without a shadow of a doubt, there are at least a couple of thousands other secret locations, properties and London inventory in general, and all of them lie in the shadows of the unknown, waiting for us to discover them but as we all know one life is simply not enough.

The Best Alarm Clocks Ever

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:24:00 +0000

For most of us alarm clocks are a creation of Satan. They wake us up when we want to sleep, they are loud and sometimes they don't stop when you turn them off. But we know they are simply trying to help.

Because we are so used to the ordinary alarms, people have created new awesome alarm clocks which can awake even the heaviest of sleepers. Keep reading to choose your next waking device.

Just FYI, there are not money stealing ones here, because they are pure evil and you are basically a masochist if you buy one of them.

Clocky

This is probably one of the most famous alarm clocks in the world. Unlike the ordinary ones, this one doesn't simply wait on your night stand for you to press it.

If you snooze, Clocky starts to cruise around the room and you have to get up to catch it. During its mini adventure it beeps constantly, so you have no other chance, but to get up.

Bacon Alarm

No, I'm not talking about that ridiculous iPhone app which will spray a bacon sent in the air. This is the real deal!

Baconator

Unlike other alarms, Bacon will make you love mornings. You will look forward to going to bed, just because you know there will be bacon in the morning. The minus of this inventions is the extra pounds you will add.

Coffee Time Alarm Clock

But if you are not a fan of bacon... wait, who doesn't love bacon?! Probably vegetarians and vegans, but we don't talk about vegans here. Anyway, if you prefer a refreshing warm beverage in the morning, the coffee time alarm clock is the choice for you

Just the smell of freshly brewed coffee should make your eyes wide open. But they even added some sound to make it even better.

Helicopter Alarm

This one is like the Clocky, but it can fly! So you don't have to chase it around the floor, but you might have to jump in the air to hit the little chopper.

Your mission is to wake up on time and prevent from the helicopter to fly off. If it does, just grab it and plug it in again.

Floormat Alarm clock

This one is really simple and not annoying at all. When the beeping starts, all you need to do is get up and step on the clock. Yes, because the alarm is actually a mini rug. It's simple, but genius. This way you are for sure getting up.

Wake Up, Work Out Alarm Clock

A perfect way to get up on time and stay in shape. The alarm won't stop buzzing until you've made 30 biceps reps. Then and only then you will be able to enjoy a peaceful morning. Now you have arms of steel and a working mind, time to start up the day.

Puzzle Alarm Clock

There are a few variations of this one, but the idea is the same - when it's time to get up, the clock shoots a few puzzle pieces in the air, like it just don't care. Then, you will have to get up, find the pieces, put them in the right sockets and the noise will stop.

This way you train your mind and you hate life just a bit more.

Laser Target Alarm Clock

What better way to wake up than feeling like James Bond. It's 07:00, the alarm is on, the noise is terrible. The only way you can save yourself right now is to use the laser gun. You point and with one precise shot you stop that bugger. Mission accomplished.

Sonic Bomb With Super Shaker

This is the most hated alarm clock on the list. Why? Because it's bloody loud and annoying. Not only you will hate it, but you will share the experience with everyone in a 1 mile radius (probably).

You will be afraid to go to sleep, because you know how the waking process will go. So there you have it - you will never be late again. Oh, and it vibrates under your mattress.

DangerBomb Alarm Clock

Another brilliant idea. You wake up, you see the bomb standing there next to your head, the buzzing is loud and mind-killing. The only way to stop it is to cut the right wire. But if you are wrong, things will get even worse.

The fun thing about the DangerBomb alarm clock is that the wires are changed every day.

Finger Dance Alarm Clock

This is exactly like Dance Dance Revolution, but for your fingers. You have to push the right combinations in order to stop the clock. And all of this comes with a funky soundtrack. Awesome!

Sfera Alarm Clock

Another model which makes you get up from bed. The sfera stays above your head and starts making its noise every morning. If you tap it or squeeze it, it will snooze. But the more you leave it in snooze mode, the more it goes up. After some time you will have to get up and take it off the ceiling. When you pull it down, it will finally stop.

Water Spray Alarm Clock

The classic bucket of water is replaced with something more gentle, but still annoying. The title says it all - water spray alarm clock. You have to stop it before your whole face and sheets are wet.

So what do you think? Will these alarm clocks wake you up?

Silent Wednesday 54 - Dirtybird Album Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 14:17:00 +0000

The Dirtybird Records: http://www.dirtybirdrecords.com/

Silent Wednesday 53 - Happy Birthday Dave Grohl

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 09:21:00 +0000

by Luke Morrison

by Toxicstills

Silent Wednesday 52 - Terrifying Deep Sea Creatures

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:18:00 +0000

Deep Sea Hatchetfish

Axolotl

Bioluminescent octopus

Blobfish

Chinese Giant Salamander

Christmas Tree Worm

Deep Sea Jellyfish Periphylla

Flamingo Tongue Snail

Goblin Shark

Mata Mata

Sea Cucumber

Sea Lamprey

Sea Pig

Spider Crab

Yeti Crab

E-Waste - Deal With It !

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 12:27:00 +0000

..no, really! You've got to deal with it !!!

E-waste is the name for discarded electronic devices. Phones, computers, TV and audio sets and all other appliances which feature circuitry fall into this category. Like any other waste, it too ends up in the landfills, where it rots for ages.

Why is this a problem?

Electronic devices are the most dangerous trash products after nuclear, chemical and petrol waste. This is because their circuits consist of many heavy metals like lead, palladium, gallium and mercury. They are extremely toxic and life threatening. Although e-waste only accounts for two to four percent of the world's garbage, it's the cause of 70% of the toxicity released by the landfills. In particular, electronic appliances are to blame for 40% of all the lead in the dumps. An old CRT screen can contain up to 3kg of lead. In time, those poisonous materials leak into the air, soil and water resources and contaminate the environment.

For a start, e-waste is highly inefficient. The current market model for electronics demands a one year upgrade cycle just to stay in tact with cutting-edge technology. This results in disposal of perfectly good and usable devices. Also, nowadays OEMs design their products in such a way that offers sales possibilities.

Apple is a great example for this market model. Their devices are called one use by the public. This is because when the equipment is damaged, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to open and repair the appliance.

They achieve better performance when they cramp more electronics into the case.
They achieve more sales because repair is hard and upgrade is virtually impossible.

All this results in countless of perfectly good devices thrown in the dump. Even in a broken electronic gear most components are perfectly fine and can still be used in the manufacturing of new ones. Instead, we throw them away and produce new ones. Efficiency is nowhere near the current situation.

Only twelve and a half percent of all electronic devices are collected and recycled. Everything else is left to rot and contaminate in the landfills. Sixty million dollars are wasted annually in gold, silver, copper and other precious materials not salvaged from the used electronics.
On top of that, the reprocessing is conducted with outdated, inefficient and highly pollutant technology and methods.
Most contractors ship their stock to third world countries in Africa and Asia. Because their laws can be bypassed and their authorities are highly corrupted, the recycling companies can use their dangerous techniques and get away with it. This results in more pollution and intoxication to the people.

The capital of Ghana - Accra has the second biggest dump site in West Africa. In Agbogbloshie, used electronics are burned in incinerators to recover some of the materials back. Of course particles of the heavy metals get educed into the smoke and directly contaminate the environment.

Another favourable place to conduct this "recycling" is China. The Guiyu dump is the biggest e-waste landfill in the world with a total of 52 square kilometres covered in processors, screens, circuit boards and Apple and Samsung logos.. It's also one of humanity's monuments of self-induced tragedy and death.
The children of the settlement surrounding the Guiyu dump have 54% more lead in their blood than the those of the adjacent villages and towns. Many of them work in the 55 recycling workshops around the dump where soil samples are 371 time more rich in lead than samples of 30 kilometres away.

Furthermore, there are huge amounts of production factories for electronics, so the raw materials are sold like hot bread. However, a research from 2008 shows the countries rice supplies are heavily contaminated with lead.

Right now, the law prohibits disposal of electronic devices of any kind in the conventional trash cans. However, most appliances are small enough and nobody can track where they end up. On top of things, the punishment this law enforces is a warning or at most a minimal fine. People can easily disregard the law out of laziness.
A bigger problem, however, is public unawareness. Most people literally just don't know what e-waste is and how dangerous it actually is.

What solutions can we offer?

If large scale campaigns are funded, the public can be informed of what their actions result and take a step to a cleaner environment.

A genius concept in the working is modular design. It's a step forwards to change the way how electronic devices are created and adapt them for re-usability and upgrade, while reducing waste in every step.

Motorola's "Project Ara" and the independent "Phonebloks" currently represent that idea.
The design of both devices focuses on the compartmentalization of all internal hardware, allowing all parts to be grouped in function based modules. All modules are independent from each other, which allows each to be removed and replaced in a plug and play method.
Contrary to the current manufacturing model, modularity allows you to keep your entire device and only change segments that don't work or don't satisfy you - no more throwing working electronics in the bin.
A concept like that, attacking almost every phase of the problem sounds too good to be true. Time will tell if it's so.

Another brilliant idea is to create a disposal pipeline which starts at the user and ends up into reprocessing plants.

For a start every e-device can be purchased only after they make an eco-deposit for it. The sum will be evaluated by the constitution of the device. When the time for disposal comes, the consumer has to return the device to the store in order to receive their eco-deposit back. Nothing will motivate a man more than money, so naturally most will follow up on the eco-plan, instead of throw away their junk in the nearest trash can.
After the store receives the electronics, they will surrender it back to the manufacturer, who will compensate them for the storage and distribution, as well as a little extra for the effort. Because they made the appliance, they can easily identify still usable components and circuitry. Those will be salvaged and used in the production of new devices.
This will greatly lower their expenses on materials and will enhance production times. In the end they will earn far more than what they gave as compensation to the stores which provided the broken or unused equipment.

The pile of useless junk can then be redirected to a reprocessing factories and contractors. They can extract the raw materials like copper, gold, silver, aluminium, palladium and plastic and later reforge and ultimately sell them back to manufacturers.There is a need for the government to enforce control over this final step to make it so that we don't create another Agbogbloshie or Guiyu.

There already exist a form of the above concept in Maine, the U.S. You can read more about it in this Press Herald post.

Conclusion:

As usually, the answers to a hard question already exist. The real questions is are we willing to apply them ?

E-waste is a problem widely recognized by organizations, nations, unions and whatever groups and bodies there are. However, none of them can stop it, unless every person starts to take responsibility for his waste. The power to change a global problem is within the power of every man and woman to act in favour of making it better.

I will not tell you to quit your consumerist behaviour. First, because it's hard coded in the very essence of humans to use and crave technology. But most of all because I'm a consumerist as well. I'm very far from restraining myself from consuming and acquiring (whatever object it is) and I know how bad it feels not to be able to.

I'm just being smart in the way I deal with what I've consumed and will not use any longer. Simple as that.

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