Category: technology

Posted on

Here Are Some Quick Tips for Capturing Those Cool Blurred Background Photos on Your iPhone

All of us want to take that perfect photo with our iPhone, especially those super-sharp portraits with the blurred background where your subject appears to be professionally shot. For all you budding photographers out there, here are three easy ways to make your photo skills the envy of your friends (even if you don’t own a new phone with a great camera).

Photo Credit: Pexels, Element5 Digital

3. Portrait Mode

This is the simplest method. If you have an iPhone X, XR, XS, or XS Max or an iPhone 7 or 8 Plus, you should have a Portrait Mode feature.

Open up your handy camera app, swipe until you find “Portrait” and simply position your subject within the limits of the lens. It will tell you if you need to move closer or farther away. When the words “Natural Light” appear, then you are set to snap at your heart’s content!

Photo Credit: Pexels, Oleg Magni

2. Position your subject just right – For older iPhones

Place your subject within a few feet of the lens. A yellow box should appear, tap it and the lens will be forced to focus on the object, leaving the background out of focus. Just move closer or farther away until the background fully blurs. You can also tap an object and hold on it to force the camera to lock into focus on it. Then it will keep the same focus, even if you or your subject moves.

1. Third-Party Apps

Sometimes, older iPhones just aren’t capable of capturing that desired blur. Therefore, we recommend trying out a third-party app that performs this feature. There are free apps available (like Blur Photo Background) or paid ones with better features (like AfterFocus). Either way, try some out!

The post Here Are Some Quick Tips for Capturing Those Cool Blurred Background Photos on Your iPhone appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Doctors Attributed a Death to Vaping for the First Time

After many mysterious respiratory illnesses that seem to be linked to vaping, health officials in Illinois are ready to say the e-cigarettes are the cause of death in at least one case.

The Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike issued a statement:

“The severity of illness people are experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out that using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous. We requested a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help us investigate these cases and they arrived in Illinois on Tuesday.”

Earlier this month, the CDC began an investigation into several reports of the unidentified lung disease that has affected almost 100 people across a dozen U.S. states. No information about the victim in this case has been provided, except that they were an adult person living in Illinois.

The reported number of people suffering from respiratory issues related to vaping has doubled in just a week, and now 22 people between the ages of 17 and 38 have been hospitalized due to the condition. People who have shown symptoms of the illness only share one commonality: vaping. People have grown sick after vaping THC products, nicotine products, and a combination of the two.

The CDC, along with state health officials and the USDA, are looking into the names, brands, types of products and kinds of devices the patients used in order to try to pin down a more specific culprit, but right now the risky behavior seems to be vaping at all.

While the CDC admits that e-cigs can be helpful to those who hope to quit smoking, the potential risks outweigh the possible benefits for many others – and they advise that teens, young adults, and pregnant women avoid them at all costs.

Right now, the cause behind the illnesses remains a mystery, and health officials urge anyone who vapes and experiences chest pains or has difficulty breathing to seek medical attention right away.

If you haven’t started vaping, this information should be more than enough reason to steer clear…and if you have, it might be time to quit.

The post Doctors Attributed a Death to Vaping for the First Time appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Steve Jobs Made Some Accurate Predictions About the Future of Technology in the 1980s and ’90s

Steve Jobs was truly a one-of-kind businessman. The co-founder of Apple was a visionary who helped change the way we work, play, and live. And Jobs made some predictions in the 1980s and 1990s that may have seemed far-fetched at the time, but it turns out he absolutely nailed it.

Here are some examples of the foresight that Jobs had years before these things became a reality.

Tablets

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The iPad wasn’t launched by Apple until 2010, but all the way back in 1983 at the International Design Conference in Aspen, Jobs talked about “an incredibly great computer in a book that you can carry around with you that you that you can learn in five minutes.”

Virtual Assistants

Photo Credit: Pexels

Before Siri and Alexa became household items, Jobs said this…in 1984: “The next stage is going to be computers as ‘agents. In other words, it will be as if there’s a little person inside that box who starts to anticipate what you want. Rather than help you, it will start to guide you through large amounts of information. It will almost be like you have a little friend inside that box.”

Sound familiar?

iPhones

Photo Credit: Pexels

Those “agents” Jobs talked about? Jobs said they would evolve. “I’ve always thought it would be really wonderful to have a little box, a sort of slate that you could carry along with you.”

Sounds like an iPhone to me.

Young people and devices

Photo Credit: pxhere

Jobs really nailed this prediction. In 1984, he said, “You’d get one of these things maybe when you were 10 years old, and somehow you’d turn it on and it would say, you know, ‘Where am I?’ And you’d somehow tell it you were in California and it would say, ‘Oh, who are you?’”

The online marketplace

Photo Credit: Flickr,Elaine Smith

In 1995, Steve Jobs predicted that the newly-flourishing Internet would allow startup companies to compete with established companies because they’d be able to sell directly to consumers. He said, “it’s very exciting because it is going to destroy vast layers of our economy and make available a presence in the marketplace for very small companies, one that is equal to very large companies.”

Sadly, Jobs passed away in 2011 at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer, but he sure did accomplish a lot while he was alive.

The post Steve Jobs Made Some Accurate Predictions About the Future of Technology in the 1980s and ’90s appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

10 Facts so Good You Might Just Jump Around

Let’s cut the chit chat and the small talk RIGHT NOW. I’m here with 10 facts that you absolutely NEED in your life right now.

They’re so good, in fact, that I have a feeling you’re going to jump for joy. So go ahead and do it! …After you enjoy these facts.

1. Been there, done that

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Ouch…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

3. Freaky!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

4. That’s interesting

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

5. It works!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

6. Give it a shot

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

7. Here come the waterworks

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1

8. I’ll take two!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

9. Harry Potter critters

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

10. Hey, Gramps!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Might as well JUMP!

The post 10 Facts so Good You Might Just Jump Around appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

This Twitter Account Hilariously Mocks the Absurdity of Modern Technology

I’m all for modern technology, but sometimes it feels like it’s kind of out of hand.

We all think we’re so enlightened and our lives are so advanced, but maybe we’re getting dumber? And maybe we don’t really need all of this stuff after all?

Check out some hilarious (and accurate) examples from the “Internet of Sh*t” Twitter account.

1. Oops

2. Patronizing

3. Close the door!

4. Thanks a lot, Roomba

5. In distress

6. What a time to be alive

7. WRONG

8. It’s in your best interest

9. Hacked

10. Love it!

11. Very helpful

12. Time to start yelling

13. No way

14. What year is it, again?

15. That’s enough

Can we go back to the Stone Age yet?

The post This Twitter Account Hilariously Mocks the Absurdity of Modern Technology appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Spending Too Much Time on Your Devices Could Spell Trouble for Your Kids

More people are addicted to their tablets and smartphones than ever before, and while we’ve acknowledged that letting our kids have unlimited access to screens can be detrimental to their emotional and mental health…what about letting them see us have unfettered access to screens?

It’s not so good, either.

A recent study suggests that, in households where family time is interrupted by parents picking up their phone or tablet, children are more likely to exhibit behavior problems like oversensitivity, hot tempers, hyperactivity, and whining.

Brandon McDaniel, the study’s co-author, believes his findings should be seen as a piece in a bigger puzzle of how technology is affecting parent-child relationships.

“In our study, we controlled for a variety of factors, such as parent stress, depression, coparenting quality, and child screen use. This seems to suggest that there is something meaningful here, even though the data is cross-sectional.”

This study joins others that have shown that children of technology-consumed parents are more likely to display attention-seeking behavior, and one animal study that found distracted rat parents permanently impaired their children’s ability to experience pleasure.

This recent study, which was published in Child Development, gathered data from 170 two-parent families. More than half of them reported three or more technology interruptions per day, while only 11% reported no technological interruptions at all.

View this post on Instagram

I'm sure our kids are fine. #distractedparents #guilty

A post shared by Dustin Rogers (@revdustinrogers) on

So watch yourselves, and take personal inventory. You might be interrupting time with your children more often than you think – and it might be costing your family as a whole.

The post Spending Too Much Time on Your Devices Could Spell Trouble for Your Kids appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money

Many of us know what it feels like to get a cavity and go through the unpleasant process of getting it filled. And for many, the first cavities occur during childhood.

So while the discomfort was ours, the bill belonged to our parents.

Now, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working on perfecting a “cavity vaccine” that could put an end to both.

It hasn’t been approved for human trials, but the developers hope that it could defend kids’ teeth from developing cavities in the first place.

Cavities are caused by acid erosion, which can be battled by mixing the bacteria that emits the acid with proteins that protect enamel from being eaten away. No one is immune to cavities, though some people are more prone to getting them (no matter how meticulously they care for their teeth) because of the shape of their teeth or their diet. Often whether you’re prone to cavities or not is a product of socioeconomic status.

View this post on Instagram

A sustainable lifestyle for a new generation. ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Um die DENTTABS Zahnputz-Tabletten für die Einführung in Deutschlands größter Drogeriemarktkette wettbewerbsfähig zu machen, unterstützen wir die Marke ganzheitlich bei der Neupositionierung in den Bereichen Digital, Brand und Campaign. ??⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #newmanagency #newmarketing #newman #digitalagentur #brandmarketing #kampagne #marketingagentur #zahnputztabletten #ökologisch #plastikfrei #nachhaltig #bestboutiqueoffice #grafic_art #graphic_design #graphicinspiration #artwork #digitaldesign #dentalmarketing #ecofriendly #zerowaste #noplastic #sustainableliving #zerowasteliving #teethcleaning #nachhaltigkeit #gogreen #zahnpasta #toothbrushing #zahncreme #toothtabs

A post shared by NEWMAN AGENCY (@newman__agency) on

Cavities are the most common ailment in children and can cost around $2000 to maintain over a person’s life – a hefty price tag for parents already struggling to make ends meet.

If you’re searching for ways to mitigate cavities in your house pre-vaccine, then look no further than the sugar content in the foods you and your kids eat. As high-sugar foods break down, they release that cavity-causing acid and can start to cause decay within 20 minutes of touching your teeth.

But since avoiding sugar or brushing your teeth every half-hour doesn’t seem particularly realistic, here’s hoping that cavity vaccine passes into human trials and onto shelves sooner rather than later!

We could all use the break.

The post A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money

Many of us know what it feels like to get a cavity and go through the unpleasant process of getting it filled. And for many, the first cavities occur during childhood.

So while the discomfort was ours, the bill belonged to our parents.

Now, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working on perfecting a “cavity vaccine” that could put an end to both.

It hasn’t been approved for human trials, but the developers hope that it could defend kids’ teeth from developing cavities in the first place.

Cavities are caused by acid erosion, which can be battled by mixing the bacteria that emits the acid with proteins that protect enamel from being eaten away. No one is immune to cavities, though some people are more prone to getting them (no matter how meticulously they care for their teeth) because of the shape of their teeth or their diet. Often whether you’re prone to cavities or not is a product of socioeconomic status.

View this post on Instagram

A sustainable lifestyle for a new generation. ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Um die DENTTABS Zahnputz-Tabletten für die Einführung in Deutschlands größter Drogeriemarktkette wettbewerbsfähig zu machen, unterstützen wir die Marke ganzheitlich bei der Neupositionierung in den Bereichen Digital, Brand und Campaign. ??⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #newmanagency #newmarketing #newman #digitalagentur #brandmarketing #kampagne #marketingagentur #zahnputztabletten #ökologisch #plastikfrei #nachhaltig #bestboutiqueoffice #grafic_art #graphic_design #graphicinspiration #artwork #digitaldesign #dentalmarketing #ecofriendly #zerowaste #noplastic #sustainableliving #zerowasteliving #teethcleaning #nachhaltigkeit #gogreen #zahnpasta #toothbrushing #zahncreme #toothtabs

A post shared by NEWMAN AGENCY (@newman__agency) on

Cavities are the most common ailment in children and can cost around $2000 to maintain over a person’s life – a hefty price tag for parents already struggling to make ends meet.

If you’re searching for ways to mitigate cavities in your house pre-vaccine, then look no further than the sugar content in the foods you and your kids eat. As high-sugar foods break down, they release that cavity-causing acid and can start to cause decay within 20 minutes of touching your teeth.

But since avoiding sugar or brushing your teeth every half-hour doesn’t seem particularly realistic, here’s hoping that cavity vaccine passes into human trials and onto shelves sooner rather than later!

We could all use the break.

The post A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money

Many of us know what it feels like to get a cavity and go through the unpleasant process of getting it filled. And for many, the first cavities occur during childhood.

So while the discomfort was ours, the bill belonged to our parents.

Now, scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences are working on perfecting a “cavity vaccine” that could put an end to both.

It hasn’t been approved for human trials, but the developers hope that it could defend kids’ teeth from developing cavities in the first place.

Cavities are caused by acid erosion, which can be battled by mixing the bacteria that emits the acid with proteins that protect enamel from being eaten away. No one is immune to cavities, though some people are more prone to getting them (no matter how meticulously they care for their teeth) because of the shape of their teeth or their diet. Often whether you’re prone to cavities or not is a product of socioeconomic status.

View this post on Instagram

A sustainable lifestyle for a new generation. ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Um die DENTTABS Zahnputz-Tabletten für die Einführung in Deutschlands größter Drogeriemarktkette wettbewerbsfähig zu machen, unterstützen wir die Marke ganzheitlich bei der Neupositionierung in den Bereichen Digital, Brand und Campaign. ??⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #newmanagency #newmarketing #newman #digitalagentur #brandmarketing #kampagne #marketingagentur #zahnputztabletten #ökologisch #plastikfrei #nachhaltig #bestboutiqueoffice #grafic_art #graphic_design #graphicinspiration #artwork #digitaldesign #dentalmarketing #ecofriendly #zerowaste #noplastic #sustainableliving #zerowasteliving #teethcleaning #nachhaltigkeit #gogreen #zahnpasta #toothbrushing #zahncreme #toothtabs

A post shared by NEWMAN AGENCY (@newman__agency) on

Cavities are the most common ailment in children and can cost around $2000 to maintain over a person’s life – a hefty price tag for parents already struggling to make ends meet.

If you’re searching for ways to mitigate cavities in your house pre-vaccine, then look no further than the sugar content in the foods you and your kids eat. As high-sugar foods break down, they release that cavity-causing acid and can start to cause decay within 20 minutes of touching your teeth.

But since avoiding sugar or brushing your teeth every half-hour doesn’t seem particularly realistic, here’s hoping that cavity vaccine passes into human trials and onto shelves sooner rather than later!

We could all use the break.

The post A New Cavity Vaccine Could Save Kids from Discomfort and Their Parents from Spending Money appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Learn About the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ and Boost Your Productivity

Want to be more productive? Then listen up.

The Pomodoro Technique is a great time-management tool, but some people find it a little clunky and give up on it after a while.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

If you’re not familiar, the traditional version involves focusing on a task for 25-minutes, then taking a 5-minute break. After four Pomodoros, you get a longer, half-hour break.

People use different variations, but Alexey Guzey has hacked a way to make the technique even easier to use. Guzey suggests the reason why you might give up on Pomodoro is your brain is using energy to think of how to get a task completed in 25-minutes. Or at least getting to a point where taking a break doesn’t interrupt your flow.

Then, there’s the problem of interruptions. Do you restart your Pomodoro timer or keep going?

Photo Credit: Needpix

Guzey says that a better way than using a timer is to keep a calendar with fixed Pomodoro times. Each hour and half-hour starts with the 5-minute break. After three hours, you get a half-hour break.

Here’s an example of how that works:

Work: 9:35 to 10:00
Break: 10:00 to 10:05
Work: 10:05 to 10:30
Break: 10:30 to 10:35
Work: 10:35 to 11:00
Break: 11:00 to 11:05
Work: 11:05 to 11:30
Break: 11:30 to 11:35
Work: 11:35 to 12 noon
Break: 12 noon to 12:35

Photo Credit: Max Pixel

After a few days, this daily schedule should become a habit. And in case you do get interrupted or distracted, you can check the time and know exactly where to pick it back up.

The calendar/Pomodoro method is also good for reminding yourself to avoid distractions.

For those of us who like schedules, this is a pretty good hack. With or without the Pomodoro timer app, it’s great to be able to see at a glance where you are in your productive hours.

Gotta keep that butt on track!

The post Learn About the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ and Boost Your Productivity appeared first on UberFacts.