background preloader

Articles

Facebook Twitter

Android: A visual history. 292inShare Jump To Close Google’s Android operating system has undergone a pretty incredible metamorphosis since it debuted on the T-Mobile G1, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this week. Half a decade might seem like a long time, but on the scale of the PC's growth, it's a blink of an eye. You could make a pretty convincing argument that no consumer technology in history has evolved as quickly as the smartphone, and Android has been at the very center of that evolution. With the release of Android 4.4 — KitKat — on Google's new Nexus 5 smartphone, we wanted to take a look back through the years at how Andy Rubin’s brainchild has evolved into the industry titan that it is today. Sticky TOC engaged!

Where it all began Where it all began The Android era officially began on October 22nd, 2008, when the T-Mobile G1 launched in the United States. The pull-down notification window. Home screen widgets. Deep, rich Gmail integration. The Android Market. Android 1.1 Android 1.1 Cupcake, 1.5. What multitasking does to our brains | The Buffer blog: productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business. 5.8K Flares Filament.io 5.8K Flares × We all know this and have heard it hundreds of times.

To work efficiently we have to single task. No multitasking. And yet, we let it slip. We end up eating lunch in front of the TV with our laptop open. So one thing is for sure, we are all aware multitasking different things at the same time makes us less efficient. Recently I started to develop a new work routine online, that specifically focuses on singletasking only. To understand what actually goes on in our brains and see if it all makes sense, I went ahead and found some stunning research and answers to these questions: Why we multitask in the first place: It makes us feel good To understand why we always fall into the habit of multitasking, when we know we shouldn’t, I found some very interesting studies. “[People who multitask] are not being more productive — they just feel more emotionally satisfied from their work.”

Unfortunately, exactly the opposite is the case. 1. 2. 3. Could Ron Paul pull an upset at Republican convention? Top 10 Game Center Apps. 36 Shares Google+ 0 Twitter 30 Facebook 6 LinkedIn 0 inShare0 Reddit 0 Pin It Share 0 Buffer 0 36 Shares × Want to rank #1 on Apple’s global leaderboards? Compete with your friends for the top spot while racking up those achievement points!

iOS 4.1 lets you experience social gaming in a whole new way. But not sure which games to buy? #10 – Pix’n Love Rush It’s a fast-paced game that’s perfect when you have a few minutes to spare. . #9 – Spider: the Secret of Bryce Manor Now you can unlock the secrets of Bryce Manor! #8 – Farmville Love it or hate it, you have to admit it’s addicting.

. #7 – Bit.Trip Beat As mentioned by my fellow GeekBeat.TV blogger Chris Cameron, this game is like Pong + Guitar Hero. . #6 – Pocket Frogs Pocket Frogs is all about collecting beautiful and colorful frogs. . #5 – Super Mega Worm Giant worms have been released on our planet with the intention to cleanse it of human parasites. . #3 – Time Geeks: Find All! I hope you enjoyed this list of Game Center Apps. Trusted. 15 Android Games You Should Be Playing. 114 Shares Google+ 42 Twitter 27 Facebook 40 LinkedIn 4 inShare4 Reddit 0 Pin It Share 1 1 Buffer 0 114 Shares × I’ve recently been gaming a lot more on my Android tablet. It still holds true that iOS tends to have more polished, quality software than Android, but recently that has started to change.

Developers have started taking notice that Android devices own a significant portion of the mobile market. This is lucky for those of us who own Android tablets and phones because we are finally starting to see some really enjoyable and well-polished games. Battleheart I love this game! Age of Zombies This is a seriously fun twin-stick shooter with a ridiculous premise and entertaining art. Castle Warriors If you’ve ever played games like Galcon or Archipelago then you know what to expect here. The mechanics are super simple but the game can get very challenging as you progress.

Stair Dismount Here is another game with a simple premise and simple mechanics. Dungeon Defenders Shadow Era PewPew 2. Pioneer AppRadio 2. 128 Shares Google+ 102 Twitter 20 Facebook 5 LinkedIn 1 inShare1 Reddit 0 Pin It Share 0 Buffer 0 128 Shares × For Car Audio aficionados we’re talking about a double din sized head with a MOSFET power amp with four 50-watt channels. If you already have a power amp you’re happy with, the head has two sets of RCA jacks, front and rear, and a subwoofer out. EQ is 5 band graphic with easy presets, and it has AM/FM with RDS. CD and cassette are nowhere to be found, however, if you’re buying this unit, you probably won’t be needing them.

It also has connections for GPS, rear-facing backup camera, and hands-free Bluetooth speakerphone with dash-mounted Mic. However, what you really want to hear about is what happens behind the 7” capacitive touchscreen. The Pioneer AppRadio 2 is available now at a suggested retail price of $599.99 Our email robots can be trusted. Trusted. The Early History of LEGO. Simple, block-shaped toys have been around for hundreds of years, but it took a 20th-century Danish genius named Ole Kirk Christiansen to invent the interlocking pieces we know today as LEGO bricks.

It all started in 1932 in the village of Billund, long before LEGO had achieved world domination as a brand. A master joiner and carpenter, Christiansen opened a humble woodworking shop with his son Godtfred, just 12 years old at the time. They manufactured stepladders, ironing boards and later expanded to make wooden toys, and in 1934 dubbed their business LEGO, a contraction of the Danish "leg godt" ("play well").

And play well they did. The company expanded from only six employees in 1934 to forty in 1942. LEGO was also fairly progressive, and became an early adopter of new technologies and materials. Dubbing them the (decidedly un-catchy) "Automatic Binding Bricks," they were the forerunner to today's LEGO brick. In 1958, the LEGO brick finally came into its own. Ben Rimalower: Hashtags Are Over. Dear @FeldmanAdam, Hashtags are over. Hashtags are hoary. Hashtags try too hard to be funny in a vulgarly transparent way. Hashtags are gratuitous. Hashtags are beneath you. Hashtags make Baby Jesus cry. Look, Adam, nobody enjoyed hashtags as much as I did -- in 2009!

How many times did I relish buttoning tweets with ironic and awkwardly long-winded, punctuation-less, space-less hashtags, running on my efforts to sum up themes or anti-themes of my tweets? And then one day, March 28, 2012, at 1:38 p.m., I read our mutual friend Brendan Kennedy's (@waywaw) tweet: "Remember hashtags? ‪ Yes, I was horrified. And don't give me that crap about pandering to trends. Hashtags began with a real purpose. And hashtags are unseemly outside Twitter. Look around and see who's using hashtags nowadays. There's no crime in joining Twitter late.

I'm grateful to my young friends in their 20s for letting me know what's hip. And, Adam, by any definition, you are cool. Haptic tattoos may one day tell you who's calling. Men’s Rules | All funny. 1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You’re a big girl. If it’s up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don’t hear us bitching about you leaving it down. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. The Cellulite Solution. Inflammation: The Silent Killer (And How to Outsmart Your Own Body) As if our human bodies weren’t strange enough, the process by which the body regularly heals and detoxifies itself can also lead to life-threatening illnesses.

The culprit: Inflammation. The dilemma: Without it, stubbed toes and runny noses don’t heal; inflammation is the body’s natural healing ability—essentially removing the injury to allow for recovery—but it can also accumulate in the body in a chronic fashion, leading to serious illnesses such as arthritis, obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Harvard Medical School research found that inflammation becomes chronic because of an imbalanced immune system. Mast cells are normal immune cells that in healthy individuals repair damaged cells.

But in individuals with obesity and diabetes, mast cells accumulate in fat and can actually leak into tissue and start to cause serious damage. Red meat, dairy, processed foods, alcohol, sugar… we love to love them, but they’re some of the leading causes of inflammation in the body. Sources: How (and Why!) To Cold Brew Coffee | Eco Chic Table. Coffee is sacrosanct to billions of people around the world and for many different reasons. Of course, most love the caffeine energy boost, but others drink it because they love the flavors and aroma, the ritual, the soothing warmth. With recent research proving that coffee and caffeine actually have some health benefits, there are more reasons than ever to enjoy a cup. And here’s another: cold brewing. Coffee that’s been cold-brewed is less acidic, which is better for your body, especially if you have a sensitive stomach or are dealing with any illnesses (you want a more alkaline pH in most cases to help fight infections).

It’s also smoother in flavor, highlighting the delicate notes and complexities of the coffee bean (fruity, spicy, chocolate, vanilla, etc), while also decreasing the bitterness that can be a turn-off to many. Cold brewing coffee is incredibly easy and worth giving a try. What You Need What You Do. 7 Natural Ways to Repel Mosquitoes | Sanctuary. Bloodthirsty mosquitoes spread disease like the West Nile virus and cause major skin irritations, yet the most powerful insect repellants contain the chemical DEET, which may be responsible for insomnia, mood disturbances, epidermal reactions and impaired cognitive function. DEET melts some plastics, so perhaps putting it on your skin is not the best idea. Yet you don’t have to choose between malaria or toxic chemicals. There are numerous natural bug repellants that work well and don’t melt nail polish – in fact, many of these natural insect sprays have been proven to work better than DEET, even in mosquito-thick regions like South East Asia.

Try the following natural mosquito repellants and enjoy a summer season free from those pesky bug bites. Garlic – It would make sense that mosquitoes are related to vampires. Light clothing – Mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing, so go light and save yourself the bites. Image: derek.chan. Customer Service Representative Resume Sample. Does your resume reflect your customer service skills? Check out sample resume for a customer service representantive job below and get a downloadable Word version of the resume template here. Impress employers with a high-impact resume and cover letter from the experts at Monster's Resume Writing Service. MARIE CLARK185 Maple St.Sometown, CT 55555Home: (860) 555-5555 mclark@somedomain.com Polished, professional customer service rep offering: 10 years of experience providing customer support in busy call center environments for public utility and insurance industry employers.An unwavering commitment to customer service, with the ability to build productive relationships, resolve complex issues and win customer loyalty.Strategic-relationship/partnership-building skills -- listen attentively, solve problems creatively, and use tact and diplomacy to find common ground and achieve win-win outcomes.

Customer Service Representative5/2005-Present, ABC Utility Company, Hartford, CT. 5 Telephone Calls That Can Save Lots of Money. If you're looking for a little extra money this month, forget the sofa cushions. The answer might be in your phone. From getting better rates on existing services to dickering over those great promotional deals, making the right call can save you a nice chunk of change. Best of all, since you're often looking at long-term, repeat savings -- accumulating over months or years -- it's the gift that keeps on giving to your wallet.

[Click here to check current credit card offers, including rates and terms.] So before you search your old jacket pockets or raid that kitchen cookie jar for extra funds, here are five phone calls to try. The call: Request a better deal on a service How would you like to knock almost $900 a year off your cable TV bill? In one instance, it took just one phone call, says Linda Sherry, director of national priorities for Consumer Action.

[Related: Four Things Making You Poor] The call: Talk to the disconnection department Sherry has had success with this strategy. Basic Rules for Getting Rich. Part of a special report on 101 ways to build wealth, readers and experts weigh in with advice that will help you lay a foundation for accumulating wealth.1) Focus on what's most important Thinkstock In achieving wealth, how you invest isn't nearly as important as how much you save. Say you're 40, have $200,000 saved, with 60% in stocks, and are putting away 10% of a $100,000 salary (including company match). You have a 52% chance of retiring with 70% of your pre-retirement income, according to T. Rowe Price. Boost your stock stake to 80%, and your chances improve modestly, to 57%. [Related: Jobs with high lifetime earnings] Message: Stretch to save the most you can. 2) Make a family decision 62% of couples don't agree on their expected retirement age.

The age at which each of you will retire determines how much money you'll need. 3) 3 ways to get out of debt Three ways to get out of the red: Just pay it off. Get a 0% card. [Related: 5 Telephone Calls That Can Save Lots of Money]

Food Stuffs

- StumbleUpon. As much as I love the word, I have to admit it makes me suspicious. Just this week I won a “free” vacation, but the fine print says I need to send in a cashier's check to claim my prize. Sadly, “free” is usually a sneaky way to clean out my wallet. But every now and then an exception comes along that's truly free-no strings attached, no hidden agendas. Here are my favorites, and all you really need is an Internet connection to go online. Business cardsVistaPrint is an online printing company known for its amazing offer of 250 free business cards. They're good-quality, too. Visit vistaprint.com, create your card and all you have to pay is about five bucks for shipping. Why's it free? Expert computer helpIf you've ever had a computer problem and wanted to pull out your hair in frustration, this is for you.

Why's it free? Spanish lessonsWant to learn the basics of practical spoken Spanish? Why's it free? Why's it free? Credit reportIf you haven't done this already, do it now. Why's it free? Nerd Fitness: Helping You Lose Weight, Get Stronger, Live Better. Lucid Dreaming. 50 Life Secrets and Tips | High Existence - StumbleUpon. Seeing in the Dark & SEEDMAGAZINE.COM. Alternate Sleep Cycles. 10 Ways To Be Happy, On Purpose | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self... - StumbleUpon. Fluent in 3 months.