Category: technology

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The 10 Car Brands That Cost the Least to Repair

Some of us don’t think about how much potential repairs cost when we’re shopping for a new car because that’s usually the last thing on our mind. But you have to face the facts: at some point, your vehicle is going to have problems – it might even break down and need major repairs.

So if you’re looking for a new ride, you might want to take this list into serious consideration. It could save you some money down the road.

This data is based on crunching the numbers from 5.6 million vehicles that had their check engine lights go on in 2018. Take a look.

1. Mazda

This Japanese producer had the lowest repair rate for check engine problems, costing an average of $285.70. The 2013 Mazda MX-5 Miata was the least expensive Mazda to fix.

2. KIA

From South Korea, KIA’s average repair cost was $319.97. The 2016 KIA Soul was the least expensive model to repair.

3. Dodge

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The first American car company on the list, Dodge’s average cost was $326.41 with the 2017 Dodge Durango as their most cost-efficient model.

4. Hyundai

Hyundai, from South Korea, averaged $328.32 for check engine light repairs in 2018. Their least expensive model to fix was the 2017 Hyundai Tucson.

5. Chrysler

Chrysler came in at fifth place on the list with an average of $329.43. The 2017 Chrysler 200 was the carmaker’s cheapest car to repair.

6. Jeep

A check engine light cost Jeep owners an average of $338.57. The cheapest model was the 2017 Wrangler.

7. Chevrolet

Chevy owners paid an average of $341.19 to get their rides fixed up. The 2016 Chevrolet Traverse was the most economical model.

8. Volkswagen

The automaker from Germany cost drivers an average of $357.92. The 2017 VW Tiguan cost VW drivers the least amount of cash in the repair shop.

9. Honda

Since I see sooooooooo many Hondas on the street, I’m surprised that the Japanese company was not higher up on the list. The average repair cost was $426.86 and the most economical model was the 2016 Honda CR-V.

10. Toyota

Finally, another Japanese carmaker rounds out the top 10. For Toyota drivers, the 2014 Prius C is your best bet if you want to save money on repairs.

There you have it! Good luck on your car search!

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Ladies, Your Boobs Will Be Cool All Summer with These Freezable Bra Inserts

Ladies, listen up!

Can’t stand the summer heat mixed with boob sweat? Fret no more. There is a product out that will keep you cool and fresh even on the hottest days: Bra Coolers!

Forget about that gross line of perspiration that appears on your shirts, right under your bra line. And the best part is?

These Bra Coolers are made to fit all bra sizes! Yippee!

Photo Credit: Polar Products

A company called Polar Products, led by creator William Graessle, is revolutionizing the cooling garment game – it’s “a leading worldwide manufacturer of body cooling and hot/cold therapy products.”

Since the company’s inception in 1984, Graessle’s “cooling garments [have been] used worldwide to cool surgeons in hot operating rooms, workers in sweltering factory conditions, military personnel out in the field” and more. Those all sound like important uses for the technology, but let’s be real…boob sweat reduction is the future.

What are Bra Coolers?

Exactly as the name suggests, Bra Coolers are oval-shaped packs filled with a special cooling agent intended to be worn in your bra. Are you worried your nipples may freeze from contact? Nope! The cooling agent is set to stay at 58 degrees – just right.

They are made not to need a freezer around to chill them. Customers can use a refrigerator or even a cooler of ice water. Those hot days at a tailgate? No problem.

Each cooling pack maintains temperature for about two hours, depending on activity, breast size, and body metabolism.

What do they look like?

Photo Credit: Polar Products

Each order comes with four cooling packs and two cotton covers. The products are discrete enough to travel with, so you don’t have to worry about any undue embarrassment. So far Polar Products only has “light blue” covers available, but I suppose boob sweat doesn’t need fancy colors – leave that to your bras.

Since they come in a four-pack, you can keep an extra pair handy at home, at work (shhh…), or in a cooler on the way to an event.

Who would buy these?

Um? Every woman?

But if you need a more practical reason think pregnancy, PMS, menopause, or simply summer heat.

How much do Bra Coolers cost?

Don’t worry, you won’t need to sacrifice your first child or even your left breast. Bra Coolers are super affordable…like $37 and change, affordable. That breaks down to $18.50 per boob, which is a small price to pay for comfort.

So get your cooler packs now and go beat the summer heat.

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Indian Scientists Used Mango Leaves to Solve a $2.5 Trillion Global Shipping Problem

This is a fascinating story.

Sometimes, the solution to a $2.5 trillion problem is hiding in plain sight.

The global shipping industry has a major rusting problem that costs an estimated $2.5 trillion each year, per a study from the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. That’s a lot of money.

A team of Indian scientists has found one solution to the issue in the leaves of mango trees. They developed a compound from the leaves that protects ships from rusting in a cost-effective, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly way. Win-win-win!

The scientists picked mango leaves because they’re rich in antioxidants and high in polyphenols, which resist corrosion.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The compound has yet to be tested in the field, but it shows significant promise. It inhibits corrosion in commercial steel by 99% when immersed in a saline solution that is similar to seawater.

“This is a novel approach to dealing with the problem of corrosion but so far it has been tested only in simulated laboratory conditions rather than in actual use,” Nitya Nand Gosvami, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, told QZ.

With more research, this new method could be proven to be vastly superior to the most widely accepted current methods, such as galvanizing with zinc or coating with epoxy-based paints.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“What has been developed is a dip-coated method—we do not know the strength of this coating and its ability to resist wear and tear in real conditions outside the laboratory, or the commercial viability of the product,” Nitya explained.

Other plant-based methods for reducing corrosion are also under study, including date palm seed extract, ginger root extract, and an extract of seaweed and horsemint.

The post Indian Scientists Used Mango Leaves to Solve a $2.5 Trillion Global Shipping Problem appeared first on UberFacts.

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Indian Scientists Used Mango Leaves to Solve a $2.5 Trillion Global Shipping Problem

This is a fascinating story.

Sometimes, the solution to a $2.5 trillion problem is hiding in plain sight.

The global shipping industry has a major rusting problem that costs an estimated $2.5 trillion each year, per a study from the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. That’s a lot of money.

A team of Indian scientists has found one solution to the issue in the leaves of mango trees. They developed a compound from the leaves that protects ships from rusting in a cost-effective, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly way. Win-win-win!

The scientists picked mango leaves because they’re rich in antioxidants and high in polyphenols, which resist corrosion.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The compound has yet to be tested in the field, but it shows significant promise. It inhibits corrosion in commercial steel by 99% when immersed in a saline solution that is similar to seawater.

“This is a novel approach to dealing with the problem of corrosion but so far it has been tested only in simulated laboratory conditions rather than in actual use,” Nitya Nand Gosvami, assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, told QZ.

With more research, this new method could be proven to be vastly superior to the most widely accepted current methods, such as galvanizing with zinc or coating with epoxy-based paints.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

“What has been developed is a dip-coated method—we do not know the strength of this coating and its ability to resist wear and tear in real conditions outside the laboratory, or the commercial viability of the product,” Nitya explained.

Other plant-based methods for reducing corrosion are also under study, including date palm seed extract, ginger root extract, and an extract of seaweed and horsemint.

The post Indian Scientists Used Mango Leaves to Solve a $2.5 Trillion Global Shipping Problem appeared first on UberFacts.

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In the Last Two Years, Scientists Have Discovered over 50 Species of Plastic-Eating Fungi

This is great news!

If you feel a pang of guilt every time you throw a piece of plastic away and start spiraling into anxiety about the impending climate apocalypse — here is some news that may brighten your day.

Plastic is infamous for its ability to pollute the environment for years and years without degrading. But because the planet is magical, there are certain organisms that can degrade plastic. Dozens and dozens of them, apparently.

In 2011, students at Yale discovered a plastic-eating fungus in Ecuador called Pestalotiopsis microspora. This fungus can digest polyurethane, even in an air-free environment (like the bottom of a landfill).

Photo Credit: iStock

This breakthrough was already good news, but as researchers continued to turn their attention to the subject, it became clear that Pestalotiopsis microspora is not unique among fungi in its ability to degrade plastic.

Researchers at Utrecht University were able to achieve a similar result with Oyster mushrooms and Split gill mushrooms in the lab; this process even resulted in an edible end product. In 2017, scientist Sehroon Khan and his team found another biodegrading fungus in a landfill in Pakistan called Asperillus tubigensis, which is capable of breaking down polyester polyurethane (packing foam).

Sehroon and his team went on to find over 50 other species of plastic-eating fungus since 2017.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Scientists still have a long way to go before this research is applicable on a large scale as a means of plastic recycling.

Still, this is proof that anything is possible here on Planet Earth. You never know where new solutions are going to come from.

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A Genius Modified a Roomba to Yell Swear Words When It Crashes into Something

Michael Reeves needs to start working for NASA as soon as possible. The young man is going places, I’m telling you, and his latest video proves why.

Reeves already has a large following on YouTube, and he probably just gained a whole lot more after he successfully programmed a Roomba to shout swear words when it bumps into things.

Photo Credit: YouTube

Some of his followers on YouTube had been asking for Reeves to make a shouting Roomba and he delivered.

Check this out:

Reeves programmed the device to scream in any voice and any words he wanted it to when he was finished. Of course, the swearing Roomba is a huge hit.

Reeves should also probably start selling these (or at least home-modding kits) because he’d probably make a fortune.

Here’s the full video for your viewing enjoyment.

What a wonderful world we live in…

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Desperate-Sounding Officials Are Using Pizza to Help People Understand Russian Election Interference

Let’s be honest: hearing a story (or, in this case, daily stories) about how Russia used bots and trolls and other vague, internet tactics in order to influence an American presidential election can be kind of hard to wrap one’s mind around.

I mean, this isn’t Cold War tactics like nuclear weapons that we can hide from under our school desks to (pretend we can) survive. Without a concrete thing to point to, officials have found it difficult to really present how big of a deal – and how much of a threat – these actions have been and continue to be to our democracy.

In a last-ditch seeming attempt to meet the masses where they live, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is relying on pizza to get the message apart.

Because if Americans live anywhere, it’s in a pizza parlor.

The agency created an infographic that they shared in a July 25 tweet that puts the Russian interference in the 2016 election in terms of an ongoing, widespread, and passionate disagreement about whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza.

In a nutshell, we’re to imagine that, instead of using clever tactics to pit Americans against each other when it comes to issues of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc., a foreign power wants to encourage a battle to the death over pineapple.

Image Credit: DHS.gov

“To date, we have no evidence of Russia (or any nation) actively carrying out information operations against pizza toppings. This infographic is an ILLUSTRATION of how information operations have been carried out in the past to exploit divisions in the United States.”

The illustration takes people on a fairly thrilling ride examining how foreign powers like Russia can turn ordinary people against their friends, family, and neighbors.

“Foreign influencers are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to inflame hot button issues in the United States. They don’t do this to win arguments; they want to see us divided.”

Some examples of how they use social media to push further division are given as “Being anti-pineapple is un-American! Millennials are ruining pizza! Keep your pineapple off my pizza! What’s wrong with plain old cheese?”

Basically, the lesson is that you should consume all of your media – especially online media – with a hefty dose of skepticism, and if someone is intent on stirring the pot, make sure to ask yourself what’s in it for them.

Oh, and as for pineapple on pizza? To each her own.

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Think You Know What the World Looks Like? Here’s the True Size of Each Country.

Maps maps maps!

There were maps on the walls of our classrooms every year of our childhood. We look at them to get around (some of us even use maps on paper!), and Google uses them to help us get from point A to point B.

But it turns out those maps aren’t entirely accurate.

Because it is likely that every map you’ve ever seen is based on the Mercator projection, which was designed almost 450 years ago and has some pretty serious flaws.

It was presented by Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569, and though it’s been useful for exploration – it allows for the plotting of a straight-line course on a globular planet and maintains the true shape of a country – translating a three-dimensional globe into two-dimensional map distorts both size and distance the closer you get to the poles.

So, maps haven’t been reflecting the size of many countries accurately since, well…forever.

Not only that, but the map has been accused of having political undertones that reinforce a Eurocentric colonial view of the world.

Now, though, companies like Yahoo and Google are using an Equal Earth projection map created by a group of contemporary cartographers in 2018 – one that overcomes many of the numerous issues with the Mercator projection.

Climate data scientist Neil Kaye created a map visualization that alternates between the Mercator projection and the true projections, and the resulting GIF is pretty fascinating to watch.

Russia, Canada, and Greenland completely changed size, while parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas also shrink quite a bit.

In original maps, Greenland appears larger than Africa when, in reality, they’re not even close – Africa is 14x bigger than Greenland.

“Each country is projected to the spherical projection and placed at the center of where it appears in the Natural Earth projection,” he explained on Reddit. “There was then some manual tweaking of countries that are closer to the poles. …This demonstrates you can’t fit shapes on a sphere back together again once you put them on the flat.”

So even though this map gives us more accurate country size, it still doesn’t give us entirely accurate country shape.

That’s just a reality of geometry – you can’t reproduce the surface of a 3-d object entirely faithfully on a 2-d plane.

But in the name of people who enjoy accuracy everywhere, I say bring on the (more) correct maps of the world!

I wonder how many classrooms are going to need new maps, though.

Oh, well, I’m sure the teachers can afford it. (sarcasm font)

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Here’s an Easier Way to Use Your Cheese Grater

Two things are certain when it comes to grating cheese for recipes and the like: First, freshly grated cheese tastes and melts way better than the pre-shredded stuff you buy in the bag, and second, I absolutely hate grating cheese. It makes my wrist hurt, I often scrape my knuckles, and it takes forever (relatively).

But wait…

There’s a better way!

If you’ve got a standard, four-sided cheese grater, there’s a good chance you haven’t been using it to its full potential. According to Menu World, instead of holding it vertically in one hand, you should lay it down on a table or counter and grate your cheese from side-to-side instead of up-and-down.

The action prevents the grater from moving around while you hold it, is easier on your arms, and, since you’re putting pressure downward, should help the process go a bit quicker. It also allows the cheese to collect inside the grater instead of on the counter or straight into a bowl.

An extra tip? For easier grating, coat the grater with cooking spray ahead of time, especially if you’re attempting to grate a soft or sticky cheese.

Oh, and here’s one more – you can use an old toothbrush to help get all of those annoying little holes cleaned out afterward, saving your knuckles and your sponges during that process, as well.

It seems like such a simple thing! It’s kind of a wonder that many of us have never thought of it before now – but if you’re feeling silly, don’t worry, because you’re definitely not alone!

People everywhere have been taken aback, including me – and I gotta say, I can’t wait until it’s time to grate some more cheese!

I’m sure it won’t be long. Because, you know.

Cheese.

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Meet the World Champion for Excel Spreadsheets. Yes, This Is a Real Thing.

There is at least one person in this world who will be telling the Whole Truth when he brags about his Excel mastery to potential employers…and he is just 17 years old.

An international competition for Excel spreadsheets took place in Anaheim, California, recently. The competition is limited to participants from ages 12 to 22.

The top prize went to John Dumoulin, a 17-year-old from northern Virginia. He’s never worked in an office — he’s in high school, and he works at Chick-fil-A part-time.

John first learned about the competition through an IT class at school. He scored the highest score on the Microsoft Excel 16 certification exam in Virginia, leading him to a national competition and then the international competition, where he won $10,000 in prize money.

John says he was surprised to learn that people actually take these competitions very seriously.

Here is an interview with John:

“Some of the foreign countries, they’ve been training for hours and hours and hours on end,” he said.

Photo Credit: Excel Easy

“When you first meet the international students, everyone’s friendly, but when they find out you’re competing against them in the same category, they get this fire in their eyes. They want to win.”

“Most of us in an office think that we know how to use Excel. These kids really know,” said Aaron Osmond, general manager of Certiport, the company that runs the competition.

UPDATE: In 2018, the competition had more than 760,000 candidates from around the world. In the final round there were over 152 students from 51 different countries. The format of the competition was varied in that competitors could choose between 2013 or 2016 versions of PowerPoint, Word, or Excel. There were six winners for each category and version.

Here is an interview with the world champion Kevin Dimaculangan. He shares his experience and what his plans are for his future:

Here is a short documentary style video that shows you what people in Malaysia do to qualify for the Excel World Championships. Competitors get 40 minutes. Three tasks. There are only five finalists. And only one winner goes on to represent their country in the Excel World Championships.

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