Category: technology

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Here’s How You Can Get WiFi to Every Part of Your House, Even the ‘Dead Zones’

Even if you pay for WiFi, you may not be able to access the internet from all corners of your home, thanks to those dreaded “dead zones.”

Dead zones are areas of a building that don’t receive a WiFi signal. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as physical barriers.

If you’re tired of suddenly losing your connection when you go into a certain room, try one of these handy solutions, courtesy of Popular Science.

Photo Credit: iStock

One thing to keep in mind is that your router should be somewhere toward the center of your home. It should also be as close as possible to the devices that will need it. This may seem obvious, but sometimes, a simple relocation of your router can do the trick.

When you’re choosing a new location, note that WiFi signals have trouble crossing concrete and brick walls. Certain devices can also have an effect on the signal, including microwaves, baby monitors, large fish tanks and Christmas tree lights.

And if you feel limited to putting your router in one spot due to the location of the internet feed, you can always buy a longer connecting cable so that your router can reach the wall from further away.

Photo Credit: iStock

You may also want to simply switch out your router for a better, stronger one.

Some companies, such as Google, even offer routers that come with multiple devices automatically, instead of just one. Check out Google Wifi.

You can also try a device to extend the range of your WiFi, such as a WiFi extender, WiFi repeater, WiFi booster, or range extender.

The most effective device for extending the signal, though, is a powerline adapter. This device uses your home’s electrical wiring to transmit WiFi signals to any room in the house. All you need is an outlet that will fit an adapter! This solution can be pricey, but it works well for high speeds. If speed isn’t an issue, WiFi repeaters also work for a cheaper price.

Photo Credit: iStock

Lastly, you may want to go old school by using a wired connection instead of just WiFi. Hook up the dead zones with wired connections of their own by simply running a long Ethernet cable from the router into the room (you may need some pins to hold the cable in place). Then set up a second router or a wireless access point on the other end.

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10 Weird Facts That Might Surprise You

These facts are very solid and they might just throw you for a major loop.

But that’s a good thing. It’s important to keep working out that brain of yours! Let’s get started!

1. Good advice for all of us.

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2. Stop doing that!

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3. I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t *meow*.

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4. No need to put it out there.

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5. Some parents might disagree…

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6. Matt the male stripper.

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7. That makes sense.

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8. I knew I liked him for some reason.

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9. Get all the sleep you can.

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10. What kind do you get?

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Surprised? Impressed? I know I sure am…

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This Is How Often Should You Be Shutting down Your Computer

A lot of us are unclear on this, so here are a few tips about how often you should or shouldn’t turn your device off.

Years back it was said that users should never leave computers in idol status or sleep mode because it used up precious battery life, made them overheat, and essentially gave the computer itself a shorter lifespan. With new technology, this is no longer the case. Many computers no longer have fans running constantly and are built to fall into battery saving mode.

There are three “power” states your laptop can perform: Full shut down, sleep mode, or hibernation. Let’s talk about them, shall we?

Photo Credit: Pexels, John Petalcurin

Full-shut down

This means exactly what it says—the computer is turned completely off. To continue operating a healthy and fast device, you should do this weekly. This is especially important if you run a ton of applications or surf the internet. Cashed copies of website attachments and ad blockers clog up your device, and a full shut down clears them out.

Brad Nichols, a technician with technology repair service company Staymobile says, “Those things just have to be reset at some point so they’re not always running. It just builds up over time, and the more you use it, the slower it will get. It resets the computer and gives it a fresh start.”

Sleep Mode

All laptops have this option versus shutting down completely. I think of it as a cat nap for my Mac. In most cases, sleep mode occurs when you leave the laptop opened. When you return, the screen is dark and you can tap a key or wiggle the mouse to wake up. Things are still running in the background, but this can save the headache of booting up our computer, which takes time.

Hibernation

This puts your Mac or PC into a deeper sleep. It will shut down more items on your computer than sleep mode, but some apps will run in the background.  Overall, however, less power is used.

If your still worried about using up too much power, Geek Squad Agent Derek Meister says that if you shut off your computer completely, “You’re talking maybe a dollar’s worth of savings on your electric bill. If you’re worried about cutting down your energy costs, you’re better off unplugging chargers that aren’t in use or turning off a printer until you need it.”

Determining the right method is up to you, as the user. My advice would be to combine these methods depending on how long you step away from your desk. And do give your laptop a rest once a week.

They need it, just like us humans.

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10 Facts for You to Chew On

Let’s celebrate some great facts!

You can share them with your friends, families, and enemies, and you can whip them out at your next dinner party so people get really impressed with you.

Trust me, it works.

Now memorize these facts!

1. Those programs don’t work.

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2. Bring this to the USA!

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3. Wow, that’s quite a story.

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4. She did what she wanted.

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5. Here’s the real math.

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6.  Well, that’s disgusting.

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7. Have you seen these?

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8. That’s just a myth.

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9. All kinds of weird hybrids.

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10. Runs in the family.

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Hip, hip, HOORAY!

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15 Times People Did Their Part to Help out the Environment

These gestures might be small, but small things add up in the end. And we all need to do our part to help out the environment cause it is not doing great, folks.

Whether it’s recycling, using less water, cutting down on electricity, or any number of things, DO YOUR PART.

These people sure did, and the ideas are wonderful.

Take a look.

1. A great idea.

The Cafe at my closest beach gives free drinks to people who collect a bucket of litter from the beach from mildlyinteresting

2. That is very impressive.

Turns out my pencil is made of recycled newspaper! from mildlyinteresting

3. Good beer, too!

Carlsberg using glue to make six packs instead of plastic. from mildlyinteresting

4. Plant it when you’re done with it.

Got an event bracelet that can be planted from mildlyinteresting

5. Get rid of those pesky cups.

An ice cream cup made of banana leaves from mildlyinteresting

6. Bake some bread!

My grocery store started selling overripe bananas for cheap with a recipe for banana bread on the bag from mildlyinteresting

7. Keep it going.

You can charge this battery with a micro USB from mildlyinteresting

8. Eliminates so many bottles.

Refill Station at Simon Fraser University, Canada. from ZeroWaste

9. Not plastic, but plant starch.

This cup is made from plant starch, not plastic from mildlyinteresting

10. Plant your pencil.

My pencil has seeds on the tip, so when it’s too small to use it you can plant it and a tree will grow out of it from mildlyinteresting

11. Reducing more waste is crucial.

This super market had tiny paper bags instead of plastic containers to reduce waste from mildlyinteresting

12. Much better than discarding it.

Every day after closing, this local bakery leaves out a bag of their unsold pastries that people can take from freely instead of throwing them away and make unnecessary waste from mildlyinteresting

13. These look great!

The bowling alley in my neighbourhood tore up old lanes and used them to renovate the washrooms. from pics

14. Get rid of those butts.

I bought a pack of cigarettes and they came with a postage paid recycling pouch. from mildlyinteresting

15. This is awesome!

I don’t know about you, but I find all of those examples very inspiring.

What are you doing to help out the environment? Share your ideas in the comments!

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After Almost Losing His Mother, This Teen Invented a Bra That Can Detect Breast Cancer Early

I bet we’ll be hearing from this young man for many years.

After Julián Ríos Cantú watched his mother endure two bouts with breast cancer, the 18-year-old from Mexico decided he wanted to help out other women who might not have access to affordable healthcare.

Posted by Julián Ríos Cantú on Monday, November 20, 2017

Cantú’s mother ended up having a mastectomy. Standard screenings missed the lumps in his mother’s breasts because her high breast density obscured the growths. Cantú said, “At that moment, I realized that if that was the case for a woman with private insurance and a prevention mindset, then for most women in developing countries, like Mexico where we’re from, the outcome could’ve not been a mastectomy but death.”

Cantú took matters into his own hands, inventing Eva, a “bio-sensing bra insert” that uses thermal sensing and artificial intelligence to create a thermal map of women’s breasts. Abnormal temperatures and tumor growth are related, and an Eva insert can help women detect cancerous growths. It also helps with the self-examination process.

As things stand today, patients don’t have a lot of options for early detection of breast cancer. If you’re under 45, you can’t receive mammograms due to concerns about exposure to radiation. Even if you’re over that age, mammograms can be very expensive.

The Eva technology does not emit any radiation, and women of all ages can wear the insert.

The company has performed clinical trials on more than 2,000 women in Mexico. Eva’s website says,

“Eva’s technology is approved by the FDA as an adjunct method for breast cancer detection in section 884.2980 Teletermographic Systems. Similarly, Eva Clinic operates under the highest ethical standards, strictly following the Official Mexican Standard NOM-041-SSA2-2011, for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, control, and surveillance of breast cancer.”

The product is now available for use at certified Eva clinics, but who knows? Maybe someday it’ll be in our houses, helping women detect breast cancer even earlier.

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This Is Why Airplane Engines Are Never Painted on the Front Edges

Look closely at the engines on the planes at the gates next time you’re at the airport. All of them will have an unpainted band near the front edge. As sleek as this kind of paint job may look, the reasons behind the styling goes beyond just looking trendy.

Photo Credit: Needpix

YouTuber Mentour Pilot, who runs a channel about everything to do with being an airline pilot, created a video explaining why the front edge of the engine is never painted when the rest of the aircraft is.

It’s something I’d never have thought about in a million years, but someone clearly did.

The first explanation is because of the heat the engines generate. Ice can form quickly on engines and wings when flying through clouds, creating a real safety hazard. Planes use the heat already coming from their engines to keep dangerous ice from accumulating.

Small holes in the unpainted ring of the engine, as well as on the wings, help the ice melt. If this part of the engine is left naked, then the metal heats best for minimized ice formation. Paint would only protect the ice from heat by creating an intermediate layer.

Not safe.

Another reason is that eventually the paint on the intake would begin to degrade, and chips of paint could get sucked into the engine. As this happened, the uneven coats of paint would affect how air flows into the engine, creating mini vortices and disrupting overall efficiency.

Photo Credit: YouTube

He also touches on why most planes are painted white or predominantly white. This one’s a little easier to guess: white paint reflects heat. If a plane is painted white, the air-conditioning system doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the interior cooled – thus better engine efficiency.

Painting an aircraft white is also faster and cheaper, and airlines can place and replace branding as needed without repainting.

If this is interesting, deifnitely check out more of Mentour Pilot’s channel – aside from his cool airplane knowledge, he wears his uniform, has a great accent and an adorable apricot poodle-ish dog, and generally makes you feel good about who is at the controls of these high flying tubes.

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After Just One Use, Vaping Can Damage Your Blood Vessels

A lot of bad news about vaping has come out lately, and here’s some more.

A new study published in Radiology claims that vaping one time – even without nicotine – can damage blood vessels, reduce blood flow, and create dangerous toxins.

The researchers found that the heat created by e-cigs meant to turn liquid into vapor also stirs the compounds into toxic particles. They studied MRI scans of 31 healthy non-smokers before and after vaping nicotine-free e-cigs to come to their conclusions.

After the participants took 3-second drags 16 times from e-cigs loaded with tobacco flavoring and sweeteners, researchers found they had significant decreased blood flow in the femoral artery – the main artery that delivers blood to your thigh and leg.

Felix Wehrli, the study’s principal investigator, says their study defeats “the notion that e-cigarette vaping is harmless.”

“Beyond the harmful effects of nicotine, we’ve shown that vaping has a sudden, immediate effect on the body’s vascular function, and could potentially lead to long-term harmful consequences.”

The researchers observed an average 34% reduction in the artery’s dilation, and found vaping led to a 17.5% reduction in peak blood flow and a 20% reduction in oxygen in the veins.

Author Alessandra Caporale expanded on their findings in a statement:

“E-cigarettes are advertised as not harmful, and many e-cigarette users are convinced that they are just inhaling water vapor. But the solvents, flavorings and additives in the liquid base, after vaporization, expose users to multiple insults to the respiratory tract and blood vessels.”

With the recent issues sweeping the nation – 100 teens in 14 states have reported lung damage after vaping (including 14 hospitalizations and a number of deaths) – these findings are especially troubling.

Earlier this spring, another study found that flavored e-juice also had toxic effects, like weaker cell survival and increased inflammation.

The American Lung Association has joined with the CDC and others in warning care when turning to e-cigs.

“Inhaling chemicals into your lungs is dangerous. E-cigarettes are guilty until proven innocent, and we are very much in the guilty stage,” says one spokesperson.

Dr. Robert Jackler, founder of Stanford Research Into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising, has dark warnings, as well.

“Nobody knows what it does to the human lung to breathe in and out aerosolized propylene glycol and glycerin over and over. It’s an experiment, frankly. We will find out, years from now, the results.”

And since those results could be “it kills you, in time” avoiding the products altogether seems the smartest course of action.

To me, anyway.

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There’s a “Ghost-Detecting” Stone for Sale That Claims to Sense Visits from the Beyond

October is right around the corner, which means those of us who revel in all of the Halloween goodness are about to have their month in the sun (or the darkness).

If that means doing a little ghost hunting, well, you could always pick up this Baketan Reiseki from Amazon.

The stone, which allegedly detects the presence of ghosts via “crystals” and colorful lights, could be the perfect addition to your holiday decorations – and it just might let you know why it always sounds like someone’s knocking on the walls at night!

Image Credit: Amazon

According to a press release, the ghost detector became “a big hit in the sub-culture market” in Japan, with people everywhere sending in “ghost reports” after having the little device in their homes.

They sold more than 200,000 of the Baketan Reiseki in Japan before trying their luck on Amazon.

The name of the device has a literal meaning: Baketan = to search for a monster, Reiseki = stone. So it’s a stone that searches for ghosts.

If you’re looking to check your immediate surroundings for paranormal visitors, the stone uses a color-coded light system to do just that. It lights up green when there’s nothing unusual around, turns blue if there’s an “angel” present, and flashes red if a “ghost” enters the area.

Image Credit: Amazon

You can also operate your stone in three different modes. The first is “search mode,” activated by pressing a button, for when you want to manually check the area around you. Next is “automatic search mode,” which means the stone scans the area every ten minutes and flashes the appropriate color afterward. Lastly, you can run it in “barrier mode,” which claims to protect you from spirits (no word on how).

The makers of the Baketan Reiseki claim its power comes from a center made from cracked quartz (the most abundant mineral on Earth), which many believe harbors supernatural healing powers.

Image Credit: Amazon

Website Energy Muse states that quartz is “versatile and multidimensional,” functioning as “a stone of amplification, clarity, and focus.”

Cracked quartz, however, represents “the life lessons, barriers, and obstacles.”

So, you know…it might work. Or it might not do anything. But even if the latter is true, it’s still a fun thing to keep on your coffee table during the month of October.

And if it turns red, well, then you might need to invest in some sage and learn how to use it.

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