As reported on LifeHacker. by Matthew E. May Neuroscience tells us that, to be more productive and creative, we need to give our brains a break. It’s the quiet mind that produces the best insights. But it’s a challenge to take that sort of time off in the midst of a busy day. Here are three specific, quick, and easy ways to build purposeful break time into your day. Quick Meditation New research from the UCLA Laboratory…
As reported on Wired. BY NATHAN OLIVAREZ-GILES If you look back at the year and think of the gear that stands out, it’s probably a short list despite the hundreds of phones, tablets, Kickstarter projects, headphones and laptops that flooded the market. There have been plenty of standouts, and more than a few clear fails. And there are a few products that wowed us not with innovation or stupidity, but with their stupefying price. From alligator-skinned watches to…
As reported on Wired. BY DAMON LAVRINC We’ve driven, ridden and flown some serious kit this year. But only a handful of rides left us weak in the knees and ready to lighten our wallets. This is our Lust List. What we’d mortgage our house, our kids and maybe a few extraneous body parts to park in that decommissioned hangar we’ve had our eye on. Some are obvious, others require that secret handshake for those in…
As reported on The Verge. By Adrianne Jeffries “Where are the gun permits in your neighborhood?” That’s the question posed by The Journal News, a New York newspaper that published a Google map on Sunday that shows the names and addresses of pistol or revolver permits in Westchester and Rockland counties. The timing of the Journal News report is especially sensitive because of the gun control debate sparked by the fatal mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The information was…
As reported on The Verge. By Verge Staff Gadgets can isolate us, but they don’t have to By Dan Seifert and Andrew Webster Traditionally, the holidays are for family. For many people, it’s a chance to see family members that may live a great distance away, spend time with new in-laws or new arrivals, and of course, exchange gifts. But frequently, those very gifts actually separate us from our family, isolating us from others. Popular items…
As reported on The Verge. By T.C. Sottek While the debate over gun control and gun culture has gripped the nation following a series of high-profile shootings this year, leading some groups to momentarily step out of the spotlight, scores of firearm owners have taken to Twitter and Instagram on Christmas day to show off their new lethal hardware. Joe Kemp@jkemp1775 Well, my 10 year old cousin got brass knuckles and an AR-15 for Christmas…pretty jealous…
As reported on TechCrunch. by ERIC ELDON Aviary isn’t done with the news this year. In a nod to power users, it’s sending its advanced flash suite off as an independent product. The suite’s original developer, Mario Klingemann, is leading the effort and today has relaunched a core part of it, node-based photo manipulator Peacock, as a new AIR download called Nodewerk. You can get it here and take a look at some of the visual creations from Peacock/Nodewerk by scrolling down here.…
As reported on TechCrunch. by DREW OLANOFF This year was a pretty amazing one in technology: Many startups were funded and acquired, and there were some real advancements made in the way that we communicate on a daily basis. I’d definitely call 2012 a major win, but it’s been interesting to watch how companies operate to reach their goals and hit moving targets. Sure, it’s not new that companies have to completely shift directions when something…
As reported on TechCrunch. by SARA INÉS CALDERÓN Google has been used for many ends, but in the hands ofresearcher Viridiana Rios, the search engine has become a tool to fight Mexican drug cartels and help the government organize to prevent violence. Rios is a researcher at Harvard University who recently published apaper about a tool she created to track publicly available cartel data and how it can inform Mexican security officials’ work. Rios is one of a…
As reported on TechCrunch. by RYAN LAWLER The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for the social TV market. Driven by the growth of smartphone and tablet usage while viewers watch television, dozens of companies have emerged in that time to aggregate audiences who wish to share what they’re watching on TV with other, like-minded viewers. But for all the startups that have emerged to tackle the issue of social TV, only one…