1.Keep your refrigerator 70% full
Do you have the problems with unfinished and outdated food on your refrigerator and you have to throw away? Be careful, you are ruining our earth. According the statistics of environmental protection association, one third of our food doesn't be eaten by human beings, but be discarded. These wasted food will become trash buries and aerify to increase global warming. So, it is important to keep your refrigerator not fully loaded and you should finish the food before it is outdated.
2.Eat fresh salad
Eat salad not only good for your body, but good for our environment. Salad have vitamin C and other nutrition that will be gone if you cook. Also, eating salad can save gas and energy. But some food you need to cook before you eat such as spinach, or amaranth since they contains the massive oxalic acid.
3.Cook food together if you can
If you need to use oven, you can put your food together at one time. This allows you to use one-time energy. If you need to cook vegetable or meats, you can boil water in a pot first. Then you can cook vegetable, then seafood or meats without throwing away the water. Make sure your put the lid to shorten the cooking time and save energy.
4.Steam your food
The smart way to cook your food is using steam. For example, if you stew vegetable or meant, some nutrition might be gone. To keep the nutrition in the food, you can use steam and the food is quicker to get cooked. It is a good way to save both water and gas.
5.Heats up with the natural solar energy
The summer day is a good source of free energy. If you don't have any solar device, don't worry, you can still save the energy. For example, you can pour un-boiled water in the metal pot, and puts it on the place with direct sunshine with several hours. It will increase temperature and reduce the time of boiling water. Of course, you also do a great job on saving energy.
|
četvrtak, 23. lipnja 2016.
5 Smart Ways to Cook Healthily, Greenly and Eco-friendly
What Your Smartphone Is Doing To Your Body & Mind
On average, people pick up their smartphone 221 times a day to do things with it. It’s no secret that we are getting more and more addicted to these handsets, but have you wondered what effect that is having on your mind and your body?
Scientists are definitely curious and have a few ideas about the ramifications of smartphone usage. You can measure your own smartphone usage to gather data about how often you check it, and then compare it with the smartphone addiction checklist to know if you have a problem.
Over the past few years, there have been plenty of studies citing how it helps and how it hurts the human being.
Smartphones Are Giving Your Fingers Superpowers
Touchscreens have meant that you use fingertips a lot more for interaction with objects. Apparently, that has translated into more brain activity every time an object now touches your fingertips, according to scientists at the University of Zurich.
Comparing smartphone users to those still on old phones, the researchers touched the tips of the thumb, index and middle fingers of several people and recorded their brain activity with an EEG. The researchers found that the electrical activity in the brains of smartphone users was enhanced when all three fingertips were touched, especially the thumb. And as the interval from when subjects last used a smartphone got shorter, the electrical activity in the brain got higher.
In a nutshell, your sensory perception of the world is being shaped by how often and when you last used a smartphone!
Your Phone Is Tricking You To Drain Your Energy
“Smartphones are almost perfectly designed to disrupt sleep,” says Russell Johnson, Michigan State University’s assistant professor of management. “Because they keep us mentally engaged late into the evening, they make it hard to detach from work so we can relax and fall asleep.”
Johnson and his colleagues studied how people are using their smartphones after work hours, and found that after-hours usage cut into sleep time and left the user with less energy the next day. Plus, there is the added factor of your screen’s blue light, which is the most disruptive of all colours of light and is known to hinder melatonin, a chemical in the body that promotes sleep. In fact, this is one of the ways Dave reckons smartphones are ruining your life.
However, the solution is not as simple as just turning the phone off, Johnson says. That might be impractical at various times, and it actually might be worth the trade-off of energy drain in some cases. Your best bet is getting more sleep, he says.
Looking Down At Your Phone Is Harming Your Neck
Just like using a computer for many hours strains your back, repetitive smartphone usage is wreaking havoc on your neck. But while there are ways to use a laptop in comfort, it’s not so simple with “text neck.”
New York-based spine surgeon Kenneth Hansraj says the degenerative condition is caused by tilting your head downwards to look at your phone. The tilting is putting undue strain on your neck and shoulders. The human head weighs about 12 pounds, and as the head tilts farther forward, the weight of the head on the cervical spine increases, up to 60 pounds, say experts at the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center.
Physical therapist Linda Vernon Scholl suggests two stretches that might help, but text neck is probably something we will be hearing more of in the future:
Shoulder blade squeeze: While in the desired posture, hold a “chin tuck” position and bring the shoulder blades together, as if you are trying to put the shoulder blade in the opposite back pocket. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat two or three times after looking at your phone for more than 10 minutes.Chest stretch: Putting your arms in a doorway, pushing your chest forward to stretch your shoulders and chest. This works to lengthen the muscles being shortened by smartphone use.
While you’re at it, you might want to try apps that curb your smartphone addiction.
You Feel Obligated To Check Your Phone, Leading To Stress And Unhappiness
A survey of 500 university students found that frequent smartphone usage is directly related to anxiety, happiness, and academic performance. And none of it in a good way.
Kent State University researchers recorded daily mobile phone usage, a clinical measure of anxiety, academic performance charts, and levels of happiness. Once all the statistics were put together, Kent says they found that:
“…high frequency cell phone users tended to have lower GPA, higher anxiety, and lower satisfaction with life (happiness) relative to their peers who used the cell phone less often. The statistical model illustrating these relationships was highly significant.”
In a different study by the same researchers, high-frequency users reportedly felt uptight, stressed, and anxious during their leisure time. “In our previously published research, we found that high-frequency cell phone users often described feeling obligated to remain constantly connected to their phones,” said co-researcher Jacob Barkley. “This obligation was described as stressful, and the present study suggests the stress may be spilling over into their leisure.”
The researchers think it’s advisable to disconnect from your smartphone for short periods of time so that leisure time is more beneficial. Akshata has some othergreat tips to keep digitally induced stress at bay.
Short Smartphone Breaks Are Good For Your Work
While most of these studies seem to suggest putting that phone away, it’s actually beneficial if you use it right. Most productivity experts recommend taking short breaks, like in the famous Pomodoro technique. You’ll be glad to know that scientists say using your phone in those breaks is a good thing.
“By interacting with friends or family members through a smartphone or by playing a short game, we found that employees can recover from some of their stress to refresh their minds and take a break,” says Sooyeol Kim, a psychology student who led the research at Kent State University.
Kim’s study shows that employees spend only an average of 22 minutes out of an 8-hour work day on their smartphone, so encouraging these short breaks is in the company’s interest. Plus, employees who took these breaks were also happier at the end of the work day.
The Good News: Forget About Cancer, Low Fertility
There are two prevailing notions around mobile phone usage. First, that the radiation in phones can cause cancer, especially in the head and neck area. Second, that the low-level electromagnetic fields reduce male fertility. Well, it’s time to debunk both these myths.
After studying the effects of mobile phones on people who have used them for 20 years, analyzing data of cancer cases in those years and before it, and accountingfor several factors to ensure that the uncertainty is as low as it can be, scientists have said that smartphones can’t cause any of these health problems. Here’s an excerpt from the study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health:
The group found no evidence that the low-level fields around mobile phones and other transmitters increase the risk of cancer, impair male fertility, cause other reproductive damage or lead to other diseases and adverse health effects, such as changes to the endocrine and immune systems.
Are You Worried About Your Smartphone’s Effects?
All of the information here is what the best scientific minds know as of January 2015. But things change, new discoveries are made over time. Right now, what worries you about how your smartphone is going to affect your mind or body?
6 Tips for Taking the Best Smartphone Pictures
Whether you are taking pictures with a $2,000 DSLR or your smartphone, there are some basic steps you can follow to ensure crisp and memorable pictures. With a modern smartphone, you have a camera that is capable of taking amazingly sharp pictures, but you need to understand how to find the right conditions (contrast, focus, lighting, etc.) for the perfect shot. Here’s six essential tips:
1. Focus Properly
The perfect shot isn’t perfect if it’s not in focus. Most cameras are “auto-focus”, although you do want to be sure the camera has a second or two to properly focus on your target. It’s easier to focus on surfaces that have contrast and details, so the camera’s technology has a reference point. Some cameras have a two-stage focus feature that can help you setup the shot properly. When focusing on a subject, remember the “rule of thirds” which basically means imagining three horizontal and vertical lens over the picture frame and then aligning subjects or the horizon along those lines. And don’t forget to hold the camera still, as shaking will cause the focus to move and result in blurry pics.
2. Lighting Matters
You want to have depth in your lighting and also use it to spotlight certain colors. Using a spot light is a classic photography technique to emphasize a certain color so that it stands out in a photo. You also want to consider the color of the lighting and the effect it has on the overall picture. Warmer lights in the orange or yellow spectrum for example tend to work well with warm-colored objects, especially if you need them to stand out from a “cool” background.
3. Avoid the “Washed Out” Look
If you have tried to take a beautiful night picture with a flash, then it’s likely the picture had that dreaded “washed out” look where the colors are off and there’s no dimension. This can happen because the camera doesn’t properly estimate the amount of exposure and/or because flat lighting takes away any depth. Most smartphones allow the user to manually compensate for the exposure, so images have proper contrast. For the flash, the trick is to not have it be the only light source for the picture. It should be a source of ambient light, added so the shutter speed isn’t too slow. If the flash is the only light source, your main option is to bounce it off a reflective surface, otherwise you can’t avoid a flat picture.
4. Setup Properly
The pixels on a smartphone’s camera sensors are very tightly packed, which limits their ability to capture fine details and means they are affected by “noise.” You can setup a scene for smartphone photography by avoiding low-light situations, avoiding backlighting, and low-contrast lighting that won’t allow your subject to be front and center. You also want to avoid a moving subject, and should focus on people’s faces as the focal point when taking shots of individuals.
5. Capture the Perfect Moment
Photographers know the benefit of catching that one perfect moment, and understand that preparation and patience are the keys to capturing perfection. When armed with a smartphone, you should be sure you understand the most commonly used camera application settings, and have in place good default settings. For example, you can set a default to have the flash turned off, the exposure compensation to “0” and your white balance set to “auto.” Then it’s all about developing an eye for crucial moments, which will take practice to develop the right composition and lighting that will turn a mere picture into a “moment.”
6. Creating your own “Look”
As your smartphone skills progress, you’ll want to develop your own photography “brand” that sets your photos apart from others. Creating a persona means consistently composing images a certain way, or using reflections in exciting ways. You ultimately want to be creating a story with your images, where the pictures evoke strong emotions or propel the viewer to ponder something or challenge them in some way. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the smartphone’s settings and effects to create some overexposed or unconventional photos to help you develop a style.
Leveraging the power of modern smartphone cameras can also mean using special lenses or extensions such as wide angle and fish-eye lens attachments. You can create very distinctive photos and videos with these tools, and they can turn a smartphone camera into a near-DSLR device. By combining a higher-end smartphone camera with these six tips, even the most novice photographer can create spectacular and memorable shots.
eBay
PROS / With over 162 million registered users, eBay's customer base exceeds all other auction sites.
CONS / This auction site has steep fees with confusing variables.
VERDICT / eBay is the best online auction site thanks to its safe environment, prime customer base and wide selection of features to help your items sell.
eBay is the best-known auction site in the world. Between the high number of members, easy-to-use interface and wide selection of features, it has created a safe environment for ordinary people to sell their items or start up their own businesses. eBay earns our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award for the exposure and safe marketplace it provides its sellers.
Selling Fees
After your item sells, eBay charges you a 10 percent commission on the total amount of the sale. This is the largest commission fee we saw when we evaluated online auction sites. To sell more than 50 products, you will want to consider a store. There are three store subscription options from eBay: Basic, Premium and Anchor. These stores range from $19.95 per month for a yearly subscription to $299.95. If you choose a store subscription, there is no additional listing fee. Listing upgrade options are available but at an additional cost. These upgrade fees can range from 10 cents to $4.
Selling Features
You can add a counter to your pages to see how many people view your listings. The counter is a free tool that appears at the bottom of your pages. You can keep this counter hidden or display it with a basic or retro-computer design.
You also have the option of making a listing private, which helps keep your buyers' identities anonymous. This is a good option to respect your buyers' privacy if you are selling a very high-priced item or pharmaceutical products. This feature is not available from many online auction companies.
There are also feedback options that help both parties by sharing buyers' and sellers' past transactions. This can help you ensure a buyer is reliable. eBay includes an added protection for sellers – the ability to block buyers. If you have bad experiences with a certain buyer, you can set it so they can't see your listings anymore. It also features a third-party resolution center for transactions where either the buyer or seller violates the agreement.
Listing Options
You can upload up to 12 photos for each listing. Adding more photos is a useful option, as it provides more information about your item. This is one of the upgrades that costs an additional fee.
eBay has several features that help both the buyer and seller. With the advanced search features, you can search for your item or for a seller. Buyers who share your product interests can save your seller information to visit your page regularly. Furthermore, if you want to avoid certain sellers or buyers, such as ones who harass you or refuse to pay, you can block them from your pages.
Payment Options
eBay uses PayPal as the main method of payment. It offers a safe way to transact money for both buyers and sellers. The bidding site also accepts Skrill, ProPay, credit and debit cards, Escrow, and payment upon local pickup. However, these payment methods come with limitations. eBay does not allow checks, money orders or bank wire transfers. As a seller, you can choose which method you want your buyers to use. You can also request immediate payment or send an invoice.
Help & Support
eBay offers strong technical support. You can talk to representatives via phone, email and live chat. In addition, you can talk with other members in the community forums. The auction site also offers a searchable FAQs page and video tutorials of common tasks that you need to know how to do to effectively list your items.
Summary
eBay offers a safe marketplace for both buyers and sellers. With the high membership rate and wide selection of features, eBay's service can be profitable to sellers and entrepreneurs looking to start a business. While the fees are higher than other online auction sites' and initially confusing, the prime marketplace filled with buyers is unmatched by any other auction site.
Pretplati se na:
Postovi (Atom)