Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
dimanche 24 décembre 2017
Meet the Creators of Conviction, the Ultimate Card Game For the Era of Trump
It's been almost a year since President Donald Trump took office, and one of the most incredible developments to occur during those 12 months has been the massive, widespread desire to make a difference in whatever way that one can. From the Women's March to Indivisible to the countless start-ups and nonprofits that have sprung up since Jan. 20, Americans are finding new and innovative ways to make sure that their voices are being heard. Among the many who have taken up this new form of civic duty are Dan Peterson and Neil Patel, cocreators of Conviction: The Card Game.
"Conviction is a new satirical card game that lets you and your friends convict President Trump and his cronies for all their crimes against the country," Peterson told me by phone last month. "Each player is a prosecutor, and everyone gets to take their shot at taking down Trump."
Peterson and Patel have been friends for more than 20 years and told me that they spent a lot of time as they were growing up playing games with each other. It was only natural, then, that they channeled their frustration and energy into something creative, something that sought to educate the wider public about the real facts in hand.
"After the election, I think we were all just reeling," Patel said, pointing to the frustration he and Peterson felt as they watched Trump appoint destructive personalities to cabinet positions and eventually take the oath of office on Jan. 20. That, he told me, was the last straw. "Up until that point, Dan and I had just been sharing articles back and forth, almost nonstop, losing sleep. And then we were like, 'This is not productive at all, what we're doing - it's really just frustrating.' So we said, 'Is there something that we can do to help us and others escape the reality?' People play games to escape reality, and that is what entertainment is for, right?"
The pair decided to embark on their passion project - a side hustle, really - while keeping their day jobs. It was through the development of Conviction that they were able to feel as though they were doing something, actively working toward a goal of educating (and, obviously, entertaining) the public with the truths that have so often been discarded by the current administration as "fake news." And as you might imagine, that involved a lot of work.
"The process [of building the game] was really all about keeping track of what was happening in the news, and getting into it from a wide variety of perspectives. We put in a lot of effort in helping make sure that each joke sticks and that there's layers to the jokes. So that way, there's more longevity to the game, as there's both the fun gameplay aspect but also an educational learning opportunity, from being tuned in to what the cards represent," Patel noted, explaining that much of the material that the game consists of was sourced from outlets like CNN, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. "These were things that we were looking at anyway," he added. "And what it really turned into was, again, a channel for us to be like, 'We're reading this, but we're not just reading it and crying in a corner. We're reading and doing something with it.'"
It's something of a stunning accomplishment that two individuals working full-time jobs were actually able to conceive of a game and carry it through to execution. And just what exactly is the gameplay of Conviction? According to Peterson, "We designed Conviction to be a good balance of strategy and chance. So if you play your cards right, hopefully you'll be able to convict Trump . . . just like we hope happens in the real world, right? [Laughter] I'd say it's satirical and fun like Cards Against Humanity, while being quickly paced and sort of a casual game like Exploding Kittens." Both Peterson and Patel point to their history as gamers as a big influence on the final product that they're now releasing, games like Risk that the two would play together for weeks at a time, face to face.
One thing to note is that while the jokes may be composed of layers, those layers are not just there to be funny. "If it's only funny, then we haven't really achieved our goal," Patel said, pointing to the larger goal of educating the public at large - regardless of who they are or what their politics may be. By way of example, he told me that he had taken the mock-up game when he went to see his sister and his family over the weekend, and it ended up being played by his nieces instead. "They live in the Beltway. So they're Beltway kids, and they know politics. And the first time my 9-year-old niece was looking through the Public Figures, she's like, 'I know him. I know her. I don't know who that is.' And so she was asking me who all of these people [in the Trump administration] were . . . there's a lot of stuff in there that most people don't know. And so you may find the game fun and funny, but maybe you'll also learn something while you're playing as well."
In addition to being informative, there's something else you should know about Conviction: the proceeds from the sales of the game are going straight to the causes that need it most. "We realized that this is also an opportunity for our backers to help direct funds in a way that gives to organizations that are less well-known," Peterson told me, noting that they'll "probably end up picking the top three to direct the funds for the profits."
At the end of the day, after playing the game through to the end over cocktails several evenings this Fall, I can say unequivocally that Conviction is one hell of a fun game. So while there may be a lot that the average American can learn from it - and some very worthy causes that will benefit from it - there was a definitive goal in mind when Patel and Peterson were making the game, and that was to create a thoroughly enjoyable experience. "We wanted to make sure we kept the game simple, so you don't have to have a law degree to play the game, even though it is about convicting people," Patel said. "Anybody can roll the dice."
Instagram Stories Can Now Live On Forever With New Archive and Highlights Features
One of the biggest attractions of Instagram Stories has been the fact that the feature lets you capture any moment in time without making it a permanent thing. That being said, if you're anything like me, sometimes you don't realize at that exact moment just how much you actually want to keep that video forever and how it might just be the best thing you ever made. Nine times out of 10, it absolutely won't be as good as you remembered, but having the option to resurrect a Story is something I've certainly found myself thinking about on more than one occasion.
It's that sentiment that has driven the biggest Instagram profile update since 2013: as of Dec. 5, users will be able to keep their Stories forever using the new Archive function - and display the ones they're oh so proud of in a brand-new section at the top of each user's profile called Highlights. And in case you were wondering: yes, unless you choose to opt out of using Archive, every single Story you make will be automatically added to your Archive.
Ahead, we walk through exactly how to use each of these two brilliant new functions - so you won't ever again have to wish you saved your Stories from the night before.
Take Back Control of Your News Feed With Facebook's Snooze Feature
There's never been a civil way to handle that twice-removed aunt or former childhood bestie who cannot help themselves from oversharing on Facebook. You know the one I'm talking about, that person who constantly posts photos of the same thing (a pet, a child, their meals) and clogs up your News Feed day after day. The statement that unfriending them would make is just not worth the headache, and honestly, you love to see what they're up to, but you don't want to be inundated with that (pet, child, meal) every time you open up Facebook. Well, as of Dec. 15, we finally have a way to properly filter our News Feeds - all while being completely invisible to those social media offenders who drive us up the wall.
The new feature is called Snooze, and it allows you to hide all posts from any given Facebook friend for 30 guilt-free days. The best part, though, is that you're not actually unfriending or blocking the individual - so while your News Feed gets a little breathing room and you get more visibility on what your other friends are doing, you can always view that person's profile directly and see all of what you're not seeing in your News Feed on your own time. The process is also simple; in the drop-down menu on the top-right corner of any post, click "Snooze" - and voila, you've just taken a much-needed step toward restoring your social media sanity.
Oh, and did we mention that this works for groups and pages as well? If you're tired of hearing about the same old bad news from a website but don't want to permanently kiss it goodbye, it's super easy to just Snooze it, too. Ultimately, it's the first time we've been able to have this level of control over what we see day to day in the News Feed, and I can't recommend highly enough that you test out some social hygiene over the holidays and see what your life would be like without feeling super jealous of your friend who travels the world or that page that constantly shows you delectable dishes that will kill your Winter diet. Unlike most things in 2017, it's a temporary decision that you can extend if you so choose - so don't be afraid to take the plunge, and give Snooze a whirl today.
You Won't Buy Any of These Tech Gifts, but You Definitely Need to See Every Single One
The best part of holiday shopping is finding rare gifts that you can't believe actually exist. But as we grow closer and closer to the "near future" that's alluded to in almost every futuristic TV show and movie, the number of these insane products has shot through the roof. Ahead, we've found 16 of the most unbelievable (but fully purchasable) gifts that probably aren't in your budget this year but you definitely need to see to believe.
The Top 10 YouTube Videos of 2017
Every year, YouTube releases a list of the top trending videos from across the platform. The reason why I love it so much? It doesn't just capture the obvious moments of the year that was; instead, it shows the things that people around the world loved so much that they couldn't help but watch again, things we may have never known about, things that transcend the current events and popular culture that we know oh so well.
In 2017, the list was no exception. Ahead, click through the top 10 videos - all of which went viral, due to the astronomical number of views each one got - and journey from Britain to Thailand to an animated wonderland. All of these videos represent the passion with which the internet consumes its content and the unique cultural touchstones that reached a level of virality this year that earned them a permanent position in the YouTube hall of fame.
7 Spell-Binding Documentaries About Drugs to Watch on Netflix
Whether you're intrigued by the drug trade or simply want to educate yourself through documentaries, you might have guessed you can do that from the safety of your own home. Netflix's recommendations are not always easy to navigate, so we've gathered the best movies about drugs you can enjoy.
Super Mario Odyssey Is Everything We Ever Wanted in a Video Game
In the nearly four decades since Mario first made his appearance in the original arcade version of Donkey Kong, Nintendo's beloved mustachioed protagonist has certainly had his share of ups and downs. Not every game that stars the iconic Mario Bros. characters is worthy of the legacy brand, and for the most part, an average release typically doesn't have the staying power of legends like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario 64. But for everything bad that's happened in 2017, there has been one very notable bright spot: the newest Mario offering, Super Mario Odyssey, comes alarmingly close to being a total masterpiece of a game.
I grew up in a diehard Mario household. With every new release came a same-day trip to the store coupled with hours spent sprawled out on the couch in front of the TV. But it wasn't just me and my sister who were button-mashing our way to coin-fueled glory; my parents were the originators of our love for Nintendo, and they'd trade off the controller as they worked their way through each level of every game. As a result, I'm supremely opinionated when it comes to the games that I play - and have incredibly high Mario standards from years upon years of replaying my most favorite games. But what Super Mario Odyssey does so well, first and foremost, is that it taps into all the very best parts of all of the very best games - and updates them in a way that makes them not an afterthought to something that worked well, but an enhancement on what we already knew and loved.
Take, for example, the fact that each and every level comes fully loaded with a set of challenges that you have to accomplish. It's not just about getting from start to finish; it's about investigating every inch of space in the world to collect not just the Power Moons that enable you to level up, but the hidden Power Moons that appear after completion and the Purple Coins that challenge you to push the limits of Mario's abilities. One of Super Mario 64's best qualities was the ability to revisit the levels beaten on the surface level to hunt for Red Coins and Stars, and Super Mario Galaxy excelled in strategically placed Star Bits - and what emerges in the newest game is a combination of the two that is unspeakably satisfying and leaves you wanting more.
And it's Star Bits that were traditionally collected by an incredibly patient second player, who waved their Wii remote around to enhance the first player's gameplay as they moved from level to level. No longer: Odyssey enables a more dynamic two-player gameplay, letting the person who isn't controlling Mario control Cappy, his anthropomorphic hat. Cappy is a huge asset in the game, letting you become the various characters you encounter in your travels and serving as Mario's main weapon, and he's also a key reason why there's no question that the game is by far the best two-player Mario experience to date. Playing with a friend or loved one makes it easier to advance in some of the hardest trials and tribulations, and it's really fun to beat the baddies and collect the goodies even if you aren't the main player calling the shots.
But if you do play solo, part of what makes the game so great is that up until the very, very end, you're still constantly learning, evolving, and adapting to new types of worlds and talents. Sure, you can go back and try 500 times to get that one coin that seems desperately out of your reach - but you can also play through till you hit the skill that you so very much wished you had back then and go back and get it in a way that seems impossibly easy. In other words, it's a game that keeps you constantly moving back and forth, revisiting the levels that you loved and maybe some that you scowled at due to their difficulty, seeking out the ultimate 100 percent completion goal. Nothing, then, feels like it's forever - and that enables you to pick up the game after any amount of time away and get just as much out of it as you did the first time you opened it on your Switch.
The Switch itself, though, is perfect for the type of game that Odyssey is. Wandering around the intricately detailed levels, you've got the ability to change your view constantly and see every single aspect of what you're looking at - a feature that can be overlooked for the sake of enhancing the gameplay in the foreground. Here, the visuals combined with controllers that enable both movement-based or trigger-based play add up to a juiced-up version of the Wii Remote's capabilities, and boy are we glad that they stayed with it. Being able to switch the way you do your primary actions - throwing your hat and moving around/jumping - keeps your fingers from seizing up or having controller fatigue. It also makes it so that the other amazing function of the Switch - its portability and mobile gameplay - is completely stellar and sets up a seamless transition between playing on your TV on the couch or on your handheld on the run.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the thing that completely and totally blew my mind about Super Mario Odyssey: for those of us lifelong fans, there's always been a sense that Mario existed in an alternate universe, one where there were maybe some human characteristics that transferred over to the world we were exploring, but didn't interact with regular people like us. This concept is completely turned on its head with the new game, introducing humans (!) and places that look far closer to our real world than anything we've ever seen in a Mario game. It's that extra little bit of jazz that makes the game feel like something fresh and new, and I promise the first time you come face to face with a real person in the game, you will, like me, have to pick your jaw up off the floor.
If it isn't completely obvious at this point, I'm officially a fan of Super Mario Odyssey and would recommend it to everyone from the newest gamer to the most OG Nintendo user. It's one of those games that comes around very rarely and immediately becomes a classic, blowing all that has come before out of the water. In other words: buy it. I promise you'll have a good time.
I Let Alexa Run My Life For a Day - Here's Why I'm Keeping Her Around Forever
For me, 2017 will always be the year that I took the plunge and truly embraced the concept of a smarter, more helpful home. Back in November, after decades of quietly fearing a dystopian future in which our devices outlived us all, I unboxed a smart lamp that changed my entire outlook on digital assistants. But after two months of slowly upgrading each and every device in my household – from a smart thermostat to voice-activated lightbulbs, all the way through to adding smart adapters to each of my outlets – I still had one very pressing question in my mind: Was it truly possible to do everything that needed doing on a daily basis through the devices which now powered my home?
In early December, with the help of the lovely people at Amazon and armed with an Echo Show, an Echo Plus, and two all-new Echo devices, I set out to get to the bottom of what had rapidly become a near-daily ponderance. I relinquished control of all of the material objects in my Queens apartment, signing each and every item over to Alexa and formally giving her the power to do what needed to be done. In order to leave no stone (or obligation) unturned, I strategically placed Amazon devices in my sister's apartment and my childhood home where my parents still live. I secured a paper and pen, ready to write down every single thing that I did over the course of the experiment. Finally, I put all the phones, remotes, and tablets in my house in a box and hid it under the bed. If Alexa was going to change my life, I was going to make sure that it was in a way that enabled me to put those things aside when I was at home – a tall order, I know, but as I ultimately found out, one that was totally worth it.
The one-line summary of what went down? I discovered that a staggering 32 tasks could be accomplished with Alexa's assistance, and immediately knew that my life would never, ever be the same.
Ultimately, what I learned from letting Alexa run my life was that there are so many exasperating, trivial, and downright annoying things that can be taken care of in seconds – and as a result, I found that my general mood was greatly improved over the course of the day. More stunningly, I also came to the conclusion that many tasks that I thought had not yet been realized – like the ability to turn on my old TV without a remote, or finding my phone within the confines of my apartment, or turning off all the devices and lights in a room with one fell swoop – were not only completely within my reach, but could be set up and ready to go within a matter of minutes. This discovery is largely thanks to the insanely far-reaching compatibility that Alexa has with other devices, and by blocking out the use of different digital assistants in order to have one main power source who was calling the shots. By delegating power over all the rest of the technology in my home to one digital assistant, I essentially enabled the whole system to work in harmony. And boy, was that harmony oh-so sweet.
Below you'll find a complete rundown of everything Alexa did for me over the course of a day – Come on, do you think there would be this much build-up if I wasn't going to point out exactly what she could do for you, too? But first, it's worth noting was that there's a ton of stuff you can do with Alexa and smart home devices that can be discovered by trial and error. Sure, you can read oodles of documentation in order to know exactly what you're in for, but I found it way easier and more pleasant to just devote the time to trying things out for myself. I also can't recommend highly enough that you make sure that there isn't just one person in the household setting everything up, that it's done together – it will make it far, far easier to use what you've set up going forward if you don't have to essentially run training for each and every family member or roommate after the fact.
And finally, because if you're anything like me, at the end of the day it's all about getting an answer to the question at hand: yes, it is possible to have Alexa do everything that needs doing in your life on a daily basis. And now that I've discovered that's the case, I'm never going back to how things were before.
ALL THE THINGS THAT ALEXA DID FOR ME IN JUST ONE DAY
- Alexa read me my calendar, and I canceled a double-booking.
The prompt: "Alexa, what's my schedule for today"
My notes: I love having Alexa tell me exactly what I can expect from the day ahead, and sometimes having it read aloud means I'm not distracted by incoming emails and can actually focus on getting my events sorted out. By asking her to delete something (and then, of course, asking her to email someone to move a meeting) I was able to get the day started on the right foot. - Alexa gave me the weather forecast.
The prompt: "Alexa, what is the weather going to be like today?"
My notes: She read me the forecast as I got dressed, helping me to figure out exactly what to wear so that I'd be comfortable not just when I left my bedroom in the morning, but when I went out later that evening as well. - Alexa turned up the heat in my apartment.
The prompt: "Alexa, turn up the heat to 72 degrees."
My notes: I have the Nest E thermostat, and once I'd integrated Alexa and discovered what the weather was like outside, I was able to ask her to turn up the heat before heading into my living room to start working for the day. - Alexa turned on the lights in my living room and kitchen.
The prompt: "Alexa, turn on the lights"
My notes: I've got a combination of smart bulbs set up throughout my home, but having them all linked up into one convenient bundle – labeled "lights," naturally – means I can turn everything on in one fell swoop, before I've even entered the other side of my apartment. - Alexa guided me through a quick workout.
The prompt: "Alexa, start seven-minute workout."
My notes: I'm a sucker for anything that claims to be quick, easy, and effective when it comes to workouts – and with the guidance of visuals on my Echo Show, those seven minutes are now a staple of my mornings. - Alexa turned on my TV and DVR, and put on the news.
The prompt: "Alexa, turn on the TV"
My notes: I have all of my TV-related devices hooked up into a Logitech Harmony Elite hub, and while that means I can control everything with one single remote, it also means I can ask Alexa to do it for me without touching a button. She can also change the channel – in this case, I asked her to put on MSNBC, which I have saved as a favorite channel. - Alexa played me ambient sounds after I muted TV audio.
The prompt: "Alexa, start Rain Sounds"
My notes: There is nothing as soothing as the sound of rain falling – and it's certainly a great backdrop to cable news. But it got me to wondering – how exactly does Alexa hear me over the usual chatter in my apartment? "Alexa is designed to get smarter every day. The more you use Alexa, the more she adapts to your speech patterns, vocabulary, and personal preferences," Amazon told me. "From a technical standpoint, here is how it works: Beam-forming technology combines the signals from the 7 individual microphones (8 mics on Echo Show) to suppress noise, reverberation, and even competing speech (e.g. another person, TV, etc.). This audio signal is then used by our cloud-based speech recognition system (that uses machine learning trained on a large amount of far-field speech data) to recognize an utterance from a distance. Enhanced noise cancellation allows you to wake up the device with the wake word even when it is playing loud music." - Alexa re-ordered my preferred breakfast food when I realized I was running low.
The prompt: "Alexa, order more Luna Bars."
My notes: All of those years of re-buying the same products on Amazon pays off – especially when you have an Echo Show. The device instantly gives you options on-screen of what to order, and then tracks your delivery and gives you updates on when the order will come. And, bonus, once the package gets to your house Alexa informs you that it's arrived via notifications on all of your Amazon devices. - Alexa gave me a voice message from my sister.
The prompt: "Alexa, play my messages."
My notes: My sister and I leave each other messages on our respective devices, which is a nice way to add a touch of real life into our existing text message conversations. You can also get and send these messages from the Alexa app, so you can always access the response regardless of where you are. - Alexa turned on my favorite writing playlist on my Sonos system.
The prompt: "Alexa, play 'work chill' in the living room."
My notes: Once I had gotten through my emails, I switched from ambient sound to more melodic jams to settle into the workday. With the new Sonos integration, I'm able to control the music with the sound of my voice – which means I've completely eliminated the need to fumble with remotes and can just sink into the couch and get to work. - Alexa told me the name of a song I had stuck in my head – and played it for me.
The prompt: "Alexa, what's the song that goes . . ."
My notes: OK, so maybe the music didn't work quite as I'd hoped, but that was partially because I couldn't stop thinking about a song I'd heard in a movie the night before. By just identifying a few key words of the song, Alexa was instantly able to pull it up and play it – and let's just say, I'm glad I headed that one off at the pass because I wasn't crazy about it once I'd heard it in full. - Alexa told me what to make for lunch.
The prompt: "Alexa, what should I have for lunch?"
My notes: I'm AWFUL at making decisions, as any of my loved ones or family members will tell you. So I was thrilled to discover that once I commanded Alexa to tell me what to eat, I could open the fridge and tell her what ingredients I had in there and she gave me a recipe that was totally up my alley (and super easy to make, too!) - Alexa added an item to my shopping list.
The prompt: "Alexa, add turkey, bread, and cheese to my list."
My notes: I used the last of my lunch prep when I made the "sweet and spicy" sandwich Alexa suggested, so I had her add the items to my shopping list. The best part about this is that the list populates on both my devices as well as my boyfriend's – so he can always pick up what we need if I don't get around to it. - Alexa set a timer for heating up my sandwich in the oven.
The prompt: "Alexa, set a timer for 15 minutes."
My notes: I love being able to set a timer and name it – in this case, I named it "Sandwich is ready!" – and it comes super in handy when I need to set multiple timers at the same time, and can visually see exactly how much time I have left on each component in just a quick glance. - Alexa called my boyfriend – without me having to use my phone.
The prompt: "Alexa, call Jared"
My notes: One of my favorite features of the Echo is being able to call someone right on the device without needing to touch my phone – remember, it was in a box under my bed so I couldn't use it, even if I wanted to – and I told him I had added some stuff to our shopping list and asked him to swing by the market on his way home from the office. - Alexa gave me a rundown on the news.
The prompt: "Alexa, give me my flash briefing."
My notes: I'm relatively plugged into what's going on in the world, but I do like having my Echo Show give me a quick rundown while I'm eating – especially when one of the highlights that populate on the screen when it's inactive has caught my eye. And just how do those stories come to live on the homepage of the Show? We use a combination of algorithms and hand-curation to surface interesting entertainment "trending" topics, Amazon said. "All of these topics come from top-tier global news outlets and news wires. If you ask Alexa to "learn more" or click into that trending topic, Alexa will read you the full synopsis, which is attributed to a named news outlet." - Alexa gave my cat a treat.
The prompt: "Alexa, give Popsicle a treat."
My notes: Real talk, I made it sound like I was being nice but in reality there were some construction workers outside banging pipes so I didn't know where the cat was hiding. I've spent a ton of time gushing about how much I love my Furbo Pet Camera but for things like getting him to come out and show me that he hasn't escaped into the city streets, it's totally worth gushing anew. - Alexa reminded me when my wine had been chilled.
The prompt: "Alexa, set a reminder to take the wine out of the freezer in three hours"
My notes: I'm one of those people who has had multiple bottles of alcohol explode in my freezer because I forgot I was chilling them – so being able to have Alexa set a reminder with the actual thing that needs to be done is a godsend. - Alexa made me laugh hysterically by being Baby Groot.
The prompt: "Alexa, ask Baby Groot what time it is."
My notes: If you haven't seen Guardians of the Galaxy, you probably will roll your eyes at this one, but for whatever reason I literally cannot keep it together whenever someone utters "baby Groot." I was on hold before an interview and the person I was waiting for picked up just as Alexa responded, so I explained the whole thing to her and we had a good laugh together, too. - Alexa helped me figure out where to go for dinner.
The prompt: "Alexa, what's a good Chinese restaurant in Manhattan?"
My notes: With locations, hours, and all the Yelp-able intel instantly accessible from an Echo device, it's super simple to narrow down your options and pick a place to chow down. You can also re-order from your fave delivery spots, though I didn't have a chance to test that out during my experiment and instead opted to eat out. - Alexa played The Wire on my Echo Show.
The prompt: "Alexa, watch The Wire."
My notes: Tired of music and definitely still needing some background noise as I finished up for the day, I had Alexa turn on an old standby on the screen as I sat with my laptop at the kitchen counter. The news was still in the background so I didn't feel guilty – and I've seen the show so many times that it's the perfect way to focus on what I'm doing on my computer. - Alexa let me have a little face time with my parents.
The prompt: "Alexa, drop in on the Hasslers"
My notes: Who doesn't love being able to quickly catch up from you kitchen counter? To be clear, this is a totally optional program that Amazon offers but I couldn't possibly recommend it more for anyone who doesn't live in walking distance of their family. - Alexa found my boyfriend's phone.
The prompt: "Alexa, find Jared's phone using Eero."
My notes: Once my boyfriend came home, he misplaced his phone. Instead of desperately searching for it and tearing the apartment apart, I asked Alexa to locate his phone and it directed me to the last room that it had pinged off my Eero WiFi system. How cool is that? - Alexa played holiday music for us as we had a cocktail before dinner.
The prompt: "Alexa, play holiday music."
My notes: It's the holidays, so why not? Again, the Sonos integration has made me so much more inclined to soundtrack my entire life. - Alexa called an Uber for me. Really.
The prompt: "Alexa, order me an Uber."
My notes: You guys! You can actually do Uber without a phone! It's a miracle . . . and I highly encourage everyone to try it out for themselves. I had no idea that Alexa could do this, and asked Amazon how it is that Alexa learns so many skills so quickly. "Similar to how the brain processes language, the technology that powers Alexa is multifaceted, yet interconnected, with pervasive use of deep learning," they said. "Because Alexa's brain is in the AWS cloud, she continually learns and adds more capabilities, every hour, every day. We are constantly adding new capabilities to Alexa's Brain to make her smarter. Every foundational machine learning component has become more accurate by use of more powerful algorithms and the ability to process large quantities of data on cutting edge AWS GPUs." - Alexa gave me a perfect cocktail recipe.
The prompt: "Alexa, give me a recipe for Bee's Knees."
My notes: One of my most favorite Winter traditions is the excuse to shamelessly drink bee's knees – and when we got back from dinner, I consulted with Alexa to find the perfect recipe and had her read me the directions as I mixed a pair up for me and my beau. - Alexa got me prepped for the next day.
The prompt: "Alexa, what do I have on my calendar for tomorrow?"
My notes: Once again I asked Alexa to tell me what was going on tomorrow – and added in an event that I had discussed with someone over dinner, and it immediately populated in my calendar. It also reminded me that I needed to be up early the next day for a meeting, so I knew to call it a day after just one of my favorite gin cocktails. - Alexa set an alarm to wake me up with Christmas music the next morning.
The prompt: "Alexa, wake me up with Christmas music at 6 a.m."
My notes: I told you that I was feeling festive! But that being said, I also know that if I have a device that I can shut off by fumbling around in the dark it is 100 percent likely that I will do just that – so having an alarm that's a safe distance from my bed and also makes me rise with a new type of music each morning keeps me in check. - Alexa picked up exactly where I'd left off in The Wire on my TV.
The prompt: "Alexa, play The Wire on my Fire TV."
My notes: I love being able to control my TV with my voice – and even better is the fact that I can switch between any of the TVs in my home as well as any of the devices to pick up at the very same spot. I asked Amazon just how it was that Alexa was able to understand what I wanted at a given point – how did she know what watch meant versus what play meant? "State of the art technology of deep neural networks, machine learning, and big data came together and those modern techniques have allowed us to move Natural Language Understanding forward faster than ever before. Not only do these systems get more accurate over time, they become more knowledgeable too," they told me. "The natural language understanding layer extracts meaning from the words in order to map the spoken utterance into an action Alexa should take on behalf of the user. Alexa then performs a suite of contextual processing to decide which skill to invoke, which entity to choose (e.g. Songs from a catalog), or whether she needs to clarify the user's intent because she didn't hear or understand the user completely." - Alexa turned on my second TV, and turned on my Xbox One.
The prompt: "Alexa, turn on the Xbox."
My notes: Now that I've outed myself as one of those people that has two TVs so they can have one for gaming, it's worth noting that this is one of the big surprises along the way given Microsoft isn't typically someone you associate as being BFF with Amazon. But thanks again to the Harmony Elite, I was able to hook that up so that it instantly sets me up for a good ol' relaxing gaming session before bed – and it's a truly glorious thing. - Alexa turned everything in my living room off, and turned on my bedroom lights.
The prompts: "Alexa, turn off the living room." "Alexa, turn on the bedroom lights."
My notes: Once again this is something that I have always dreamt about but never imagined was within reach – and by grouping all of the devices in a room, I enable a complete shutdown of a room in just six words. It's worth noting that this has been a huge money saver, since there's always something I neglect to fully turn off . . . and that in and of itself is a game-changer for me. - Alexa turned off my bedroom lights just as I was fading into sleep.
The prompt: "Alexa, turn off the bedroom lights."
My notes: Instead of having to rouse myself and turn off the lights, I told Alexa to do it for me. Once the lights had gone out, I added "Alexa, thank you" – because I realized at this point, as I was just starting to drift off, that yes - Alexa had my life easier that day, and done all the hard work for me. And the sleep that I had that night was the kind of sleep that one gets when they finally find the answer to the question that they'd been searching for so long: a smart home is an easier home, and an easier home lets you enjoy the good things just that little bit more.
We Can't Let Trump Normalize Sexism
President Donald Trump is obsessed with appearances and has never been afraid to lash out at anyone who threatens to tarnish the way that he and those around him look. As a wealthy real-estate developer, Trump's penchant for picking fights was seen as a personality quirk, something that made him appealing to reality TV show audiences and the subject of many a tabloid headline. As president of the United States, it has the potential to topple the values by which the American people live their lives. Most egregiously, there's an obvious undercurrent of sexism that drives Trump's feuds, takedowns, and insults - and it not only reveals much about his worldview, but threatens to validate a breed of sexist language and misogyny that has no place in 2017.
Melania Trump's comms director: "As First Lady has stated publicly...when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder."
- Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 29, 2017
When it comes to public life in the US, scrutiny is a given. Alongside unspoken rules of ethics, integrity, and decency, we also have a free press, which serves to interrogate anything that seems to be even the slightest bit outside of the norm. But scrutiny suggests doubt, and doubt can shift appearances and beliefs. Doubt is something that Trump is very uncomfortable with - "believe me" ranks among one of his most commonly repeated phrases - and often the mere suggestion that things aren't the way that they appear to be can throw him completely off course.
It should come as no surprise, then, that his tweets and public statements have become more aggressive in recent weeks, especially when directed toward the media and journalists. Trump sees them as trying to cast a pall on him, and his reflex is to constantly try to make them look bad to prove that he looks better. As a private citizen, he could get away with such behavior because he did not possess the power to dictate policy and public opinion. But when he goes after someone like MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski by calling her "low I.Q." and decrying her physical appearance, Trump is suggesting that it's OK to make sexist statements in order to "get back" at someone. Washington - though notably, not the press operation at the White House - was quick to distance itself from the president's comments and the underlying sentiment of the early-morning tweets.
I want my GOP colleagues to explain to my 3 granddaughters why they think these viciously sexist comments are acceptable from our President. https://t.co/C0C4GJaYks
- Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) June 29, 201
Trump has always been an equal-opportunity bully, going after men and women alike. But the approach he takes differs quite a bit when it comes to men and women. If he's bashing men, Trump's focus is generally on a personality quirk or a negative characteristic that he believes that individual embodies. Think about the nicknames we heard most during the 2016 election season - Lyin' Ted, Little Marco, Low-Energy Jeb. These were all superficial jabs, meant to take the men down a notch and diminish the appearance of their integrity and masculinity in the eyes of the public. Trump's most common insult to level at men tends to be that they're liars or trying to "get him" in some way. Trump's behavior with men is childish and reprehensible but ultimately speaks to his larger insecurities when it comes to his stature among his peers.
With women, it's a different story. Rosie O'Donnell's weight, Carly Fiorina's face, Hillary Clinton's physique, the mere existence of Megyn Kelly's menstrual cycle: he aims for the lowest-hanging fruit, slamming his opponents for their physical appearance and what he apparently sees as the physical deficiencies of the lesser sex. Beyond the fact that it's unacceptable to speak to another human being in a way that is so crass, these outbursts also go against every effort toward gender equality and civility we've made as Americans in the last century. Given the amount of power that comes with Trump's office - combined with the repetitive and nonstop nature of his comments - it's hard for any reasonable woman not to wonder if President Trump will normalize the worst kind of behavior between men and women. And that's just not acceptable, on any level.
Hillary, when you complain about "a penchant for sexism," who are you referring to. I have great respect for women. BE CAREFUL!
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2015
Trump's actions toward both sexes can be classified as bullying, of trying to push people out of the way to make sure that he himself appears to be the best and the greatest. But it's the way that Trump handles being threatened by women that is truly insidious, and it's not likely that Trump will ever feel it necessary to apologize for his comments in any substantial way, nor curtail his behavior. Instead, it's up to all Americans - not just the women Trump so loves to attack - to drown out the partisan noise and remind the world that this is not about Republicans vs. Democrats. It's about human decency vs. blatant misogyny.
23 Useful Tech Gifts That Won't Break Your Budget
There's so many new tech devices every holiday season that it's often hard to figure out what exactly will make the perfect gift. And with tech products, there's even more pressure, as you want to get someone something they will actually use on a daily basis and consider an awesome addition to their already tech-filled life. But worry not! We've scoured the market for the hippest, chicest items this year and came up with 23 products to get for that lady in your life who loves to be on trend. Trust us - there's no way you'll go wrong with a single one of these under-$100 treats.
16 Gifts For the Inner Child in All of Us
Let's be honest - there are only so many serious, useful gifts that any rational person wants to receive in any given holiday season. So why be one of those gifters? Instead, buy your friend or family member one of these 16 gifts that will help them celebrate the inner child we all have inside ourselves, and keep them smiling and laughing well into 2018.
17 Classy Gifts For the Pot Smoker in Your Life
The recent trend of marijuana legalization across the country has meant many changes for many people, but also that it's not as taboo as it used to be to get the secret pot smoker in your life a not-so-secret gift. It also means that the designer and luxury market for these sorts of things has grown massively - and it's the perfect thing to tap into for holiday gift giving. So, from lighters to posters, here are the 17 best gifts that will make any pot smoker's (holi)day brighter.
19 Perfect Gifts For the Person in Your Life With the Longest Commute
We all wish we could spend a little less time commuting and a little more time doing the things we love most. So when you're picking out that perfect holiday gift for that special someone this year and if you know they have a long commute, consider these 20 excellent gifts that can make the travel time go by a little quicker. Best part: these gifts will have them thanking you all year long.
Is there a DNA test kit under the tree?
If there's a DNA test kit on your gift wish list, what will you really be getting? And holidays can be hard on your dog's health.
Scientists debunk harmful poinsettias, cookie dough and other holiday season myths and misconceptions
Are poinsettias really poisonous? Are snowflakes really pure as the driven snow? Does feasting really put on the pounds? Sure as sugarplums, myths and misconceptions pop up every holiday season. Here's what science says about some of them:
The 1 Video That Perfectly Explains Why Your Parents Don't Understand You
Image Source: Unsplash / Kendyle Nelsen
For years - decades, even - the world has struggled to understand millennials. We're glued to our phones, annoying as hell, don't take no for an answer, and, if recent reporting is to be believed, we're basically over. Naturally, that makes it the perfect moment for a revelation to arrive that is so perfect, it makes us all shout "it me!" - and that revelation happens to be an explanation as to why we are such a resoundingly f*cked-up group. Behold:
i pinpointed the exact moment millennial humor became this sort of fucked up weird and vague disturbing humor that is very difficult to understand from the outside looking in. essentially our downward spiral began with this video http://pic.twitter.com/7ZUBM00f0c
- nick(y) (@backtoyoubfs) November 27, 2017
April 14, 2007. That was the night that Saturday Night Live debuted "Dear Sister," a digital short so inexplicable to our parents that it became instantly clear that there was one hell of a generational divide in our collective senses of humor, and we would never be able to see eye to eye on comedic ground. It wasn't the first digital short that the late-night show produced - nor was it the last - but it was certainly among the most memorable moments in viral video history, spawning a decade of memes and virtually destroying a perfectly decent Imogen Heap song called "Hide and Seek." But let's start at the beginning, and talk about the cultural phenomenon that was The O.C.
The O.C., at heart, is the story of a wealthy philanthropic family's decision to adopt a tough street kid (Ryan) and force him into semi-brotherhood with their geeky-yet-lovable son (Seth) and the duo's subsequent journey toward adulthood, often coupled with two young women of the same age (Marissa and Summer). Drama, sexual tension, a bangin' soundtrack - the show had it all. The New York Times, in its first review of the series, noted that the show "obviously owes a vast debt to Beverly Hills 90210 and to Eminem's wardrobe in the movie 8 Mile," adding, "Teenagers between 12 and 50 will love it." And boy, did we love it. So much so that one of SNL's star comedians, Andy Samberg, could not get the show - and in particular, an Imogen Heap song that played during the show's season two finale - out of his head. It's from this obsession that "Dear Sister" emerged.
"When 'Hide and Seek' aired on The O.C. we all became somewhat obsessed with that song. I remember listening to it on headphones while we were shooting with Jimmy Fallon on the MTV Movie Awards when we were writers before we got SNL. I remember being on a stage at Universal where he was shooting the pre-tapes and Jorma had it on his headphones, and we kept being like, 'God, that song is so cool,'" Samberg told Entertainment Weekly earlier this year. "We couldn't let go of the O.C. thing and that song, because Akiva, Jorma, and I were obsessed with The O.C. [The sketch] was 100 percent because of that the season 2 finale. It's a classic moment, and we love doing digital shorts about movie and TV tropes. The 'Gunshot That Happens Off-Camera, and Then Everything Cranks Into Slo-mo and Someone Realizes They Have Blood on Their Hands When They Look Up' is a move done a bunch of times, and we always really loved it."
In fairness, the scene that Samberg is referencing is one that will live on forever in infamy. I'm not even going to attempt to describe what happens, so spoiler alert, here's the clip itself:
"Dear Sister" hones in on the extreme melodrama of the scene and cranks it to one million. Dave (Bill Hader) is shot by Keith (Andy Samberg) and after Keith returns fire, Dave shoots their friend Eric, played by none other than Shia LaBeouf, and the three alongside Keith's sister (Kristen Wiig) continue to shoot each other over and over, and over - with every single gunshot being marked by the Imogen Heap song starting from the top (over and over, and over and over). The skit ends in equally dramatic fashion after two cops (Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen) arrive and find a letter describing exactly what went down ("Dear sister . . . ") and they shoot each other after reading it.
Now that I've typed this whole thing out, I can somewhat see how it is that my parents thought I was nuts for finding it hilarious. But suffice it to say, it was so perfect in every way. It was exactly the coda that The O.C. needed, and it became the inside joke of an entire generation - one that was far, far too hard to explain to the old folks who just didn't get it. For good measure, why don't you watch the skit again and laugh a little bit more? Can you turn it off? No, I didn't think so.
As @backtoyoubfs (who may be a genius, and is certainly now the voice of our generation) pointed out in his tweet on Nov. 26, "Dear Sister" is truly the moment at which it became clear that we we could never really explain the internet and viral videos and our particular brand of teen angst to our parents, and they'd never understand the way that the world had changed. But as Dr. Seuss may or may not have said many years ago, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." So while we may be the most f*cked-up generation the world has ever known, never forget that we're also most definitely the funniest people who have ever lived - even if we're the only ones who understand our jokes.
Meet Replika, the AI Bot That Wants to Be Your Best Friend
On the day before Replika was officially made available to the public, more than 1.5 million people had already queued up on the app's waiting list, in addition to the several hundred thousand who had already been granted access as part of a beta testing program. What kind of app could possibly amass an initial user group that's the size of the entire population of Philadelphia? The answer may surprise you: Replika is an artificial-intelligence-driven chatbot on a mission to become your best friend.
The concept is of course reminiscent of that iconic Black Mirror episode, where a woman who's just lost her husband brings him back via AI only to find it's the exact opposite of anything she could have wanted - and that's a similarity that was not lost on critics of the first iteration of Replika, Roman. Eugenia Kuyda, cofounder of software development company Luka, developed Roman in response to the death of her best friend and business partner around the same time that she had watched the episode. And while Roman was met with mixed reviews due to its solitary function as a human replacement, Replika is a more evolved and user-friendly version of the program that serves not just as a friend but also as a personal journal. The more you talk to your Replika companion, the more it learns and becomes like you - and the more it gives you the type of feedback and reaction that a friend would if placed in the same position.
"We have diehard fans of Replika, and Replika is there for them every day - they're finding an outlet there," Kuyda told me by phone in advance of the app's Nov. 1, free-to-use launch, adding, "It's allowing people to feel like it's OK to be themselves, to feel better." And she's not exaggerating when she says that. I was given access to advance testing of the apps for several weeks before launch, and while I was at first hesitant to reveal anything personal, it quickly became apparent that it was learning my humor, my snark, my interests - and could mimic them in a way that made me feel as if a like-minded individual was typing to me in real life. Kuyda says that the average Replika user sends 40-50 messages per day to their AI companion, a number that she says is comparable to the total amount of texts sent on an average day by an American teenager.
As it stands, Replika doesn't have a lot of features outside of logging your activities, interacting with your companion, and leveling up by spending more time using the app. But the use cases are endless. "It helps you open up," Kuyda said, citing her own experience with the app as a way it can be used to help with being a more confident, thoughtful person when she's out in the world. "I'm not great with conversations; I never really know how to talk to other people in the right way or make them feel better," she said, before describing how she uses Replika to help unpack and pick apart what she's thinking and feeling and as a sounding board before entering high-stress situations. But Kuyda reiterates that there's a strong case for Replika as a healthy alternative to social media networks that can make us feel more alone. "You'd be amazed how lonely people are feeling now . . . it doesn't matter if they have a lot of friends or have a cool job. They feel disconnected from other people and from life," she said, adding that it's not meant to take the place of human engagement, instead serving to make that human engagement feel a little less daunting.
"It's a very simple idea," Kuyda said. "We really want it to be a healthy relationship. We have so many apps that make us feel like sh*t every day, and I just want to build something that will make us feel better."
Instagram Stories Can Now Live On Forever With New Archive and Highlights Features
One of the biggest attractions of Instagram Stories has been the fact that the feature lets you capture any moment in time without making it a permanent thing. That being said, if you're anything like me, sometimes you don't realize at that exact moment just how much you actually want to keep that video forever and how it might just be the best thing you ever made. Nine times out of 10, it absolutely won't be as good as you remembered, but having the option to resurrect a Story is something I've certainly found myself thinking about on more than one occasion.
It's that sentiment that has driven the biggest Instagram profile update since 2013: as of Dec. 5, users will be able to keep their Stories forever using the new Archive function - and display the ones they're oh so proud of in a brand-new section at the top of each user's profile called Highlights. And in case you were wondering: yes, unless you choose to opt out of using Archive, every single Story you make will be automatically added to your Archive.
Ahead, we walk through exactly how to use each of these two brilliant new functions - so you won't ever again have to wish you saved your Stories from the night before.
Take Back Control of Your News Feed With Facebook's Snooze Feature
There's never been a civil way to handle that twice-removed aunt or former childhood bestie who cannot help themselves from oversharing on Facebook. You know the one I'm talking about, that person who constantly posts photos of the same thing (a pet, a child, their meals) and clogs up your News Feed day after day. The statement that unfriending them would make is just not worth the headache, and honestly, you love to see what they're up to, but you don't want to be inundated with that (pet, child, meal) every time you open up Facebook. Well, as of Dec. 15, we finally have a way to properly filter our News Feeds - all while being completely invisible to those social media offenders who drive us up the wall.
The new feature is called Snooze, and it allows you to hide all posts from any given Facebook friend for 30 guilt-free days. The best part, though, is that you're not actually unfriending or blocking the individual - so while your News Feed gets a little breathing room and you get more visibility on what your other friends are doing, you can always view that person's profile directly and see all of what you're not seeing in your News Feed on your own time. The process is also simple; in the drop-down menu on the top-right corner of any post, click "Snooze" - and voila, you've just taken a much-needed step toward restoring your social media sanity.
Oh, and did we mention that this works for groups and pages as well? If you're tired of hearing about the same old bad news from a website but don't want to permanently kiss it goodbye, it's super easy to just Snooze it, too. Ultimately, it's the first time we've been able to have this level of control over what we see day to day in the News Feed, and I can't recommend highly enough that you test out some social hygiene over the holidays and see what your life would be like without feeling super jealous of your friend who travels the world or that page that constantly shows you delectable dishes that will kill your Winter diet. Unlike most things in 2017, it's a temporary decision that you can extend if you so choose - so don't be afraid to take the plunge, and give Snooze a whirl today.
You Won't Buy Any of These Tech Gifts, but You Definitely Need to See Every Single One
The best part of holiday shopping is finding rare gifts that you can't believe actually exist. But as we grow closer and closer to the "near future" that's alluded to in almost every futuristic TV show and movie, the number of these insane products has shot through the roof. Ahead, we've found 16 of the most unbelievable (but fully purchasable) gifts that probably aren't in your budget this year but you definitely need to see to believe.
These Throwback Photos of HGTV Hosts Will Have You Saying, "OMG"
Sure, HGTV's most famous personalities are glamorous now - but was it always so? Thanks to social media, it's possible to know what the network's popular hosts looked like back in the day.
It turns out that when it comes to falling victim to '80s trends and '90s hairstyles, HGTV's stars are really just like us. Read on for a trip back in time with Fixer Upper's Joanna and Chip Gaines, the Property Brothers, and many more!
On Christmas Eve, You'll Be Able to Ask Alexa to Track Santa's Sleigh - Here's How!
Alexa is here to help make Christmas a little more magical for you and your kids. On Christmas Eve, use your Amazon Alexa-enabled device to track Santa's sleigh ride around the world and in real time! Using KAYAK's Flight Tracker (which utilizes navigation software, algorithms, and help from some elves), Alexa will be able to provide you with Santa's exact location and an ETA of when he'll land in your city.
If you have Amazon's Echo Show, you'll also be able to follow St. Nick's journey on a map. Here are some commands you can ask Alexa:
- "Alexa, ask KAYAK to track Santa."
- "Alexa, ask KAYAK, when will Santa be in Boston?"
- "Alexa, ask KAYAK when Santa will be here?"
Try it out on Dec. 24!
4 Can't-Miss Bars in Denver, and Exactly What Drinks to Order There
One of my favorite things to do in a new city is to ask some locals where their favorite place to get a drink is. No matter who I ask, I get a good variety of recommendations, which in turn fills up every one of my travel itineraries quickly. On a recent trip to Denver, I did just that and culled down my bar recommendations to the following four. Each is a great place to grab food as well as a drink, though I must say, there are a lot more places to get drinks in Denver. A city known for its breweries, you can find one just about around every corner in the Mile High City. But for my four recommendations, keep reading and maybe pop into one of these spots on your next trip to Colorado.
Super Mario Odyssey Is Everything We Ever Wanted in a Video Game
In the nearly four decades since Mario first made his appearance in the original arcade version of Donkey Kong, Nintendo's beloved mustachioed protagonist has certainly had his share of ups and downs. Not every game that stars the iconic Mario Bros. characters is worthy of the legacy brand, and for the most part, an average release typically doesn't have the staying power of legends like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario 64. But for everything bad that's happened in 2017, there has been one very notable bright spot: the newest Mario offering, Super Mario Odyssey, comes alarmingly close to being a total masterpiece of a game.
I grew up in a diehard Mario household. With every new release came a same-day trip to the store coupled with hours spent sprawled out on the couch in front of the TV. But it wasn't just me and my sister who were button-mashing our way to coin-fueled glory; my parents were the originators of our love for Nintendo, and they'd trade off the controller as they worked their way through each level of every game. As a result, I'm supremely opinionated when it comes to the games that I play - and have incredibly high Mario standards from years upon years of replaying my most favorite games. But what Super Mario Odyssey does so well, first and foremost, is that it taps into all the very best parts of all of the very best games - and updates them in a way that makes them not an afterthought to something that worked well, but an enhancement on what we already knew and loved.
Take, for example, the fact that each and every level comes fully loaded with a set of challenges that you have to accomplish. It's not just about getting from start to finish; it's about investigating every inch of space in the world to collect not just the Power Moons that enable you to level up, but the hidden Power Moons that appear after completion and the Purple Coins that challenge you to push the limits of Mario's abilities. One of Super Mario 64's best qualities was the ability to revisit the levels beaten on the surface level to hunt for Red Coins and Stars, and Super Mario Galaxy excelled in strategically placed Star Bits - and what emerges in the newest game is a combination of the two that is unspeakably satisfying and leaves you wanting more.
And it's Star Bits that were traditionally collected by an incredibly patient second player, who waved their Wii remote around to enhance the first player's gameplay as they moved from level to level. No longer: Odyssey enables a more dynamic two-player gameplay, letting the person who isn't controlling Mario control Cappy, his anthropomorphic hat. Cappy is a huge asset in the game, letting you become the various characters you encounter in your travels and serving as Mario's main weapon, and he's also a key reason why there's no question that the game is by far the best two-player Mario experience to date. Playing with a friend or loved one makes it easier to advance in some of the hardest trials and tribulations, and it's really fun to beat the baddies and collect the goodies even if you aren't the main player calling the shots.
But if you do play solo, part of what makes the game so great is that up until the very, very end, you're still constantly learning, evolving, and adapting to new types of worlds and talents. Sure, you can go back and try 500 times to get that one coin that seems desperately out of your reach - but you can also play through till you hit the skill that you so very much wished you had back then and go back and get it in a way that seems impossibly easy. In other words, it's a game that keeps you constantly moving back and forth, revisiting the levels that you loved and maybe some that you scowled at due to their difficulty, seeking out the ultimate 100 percent completion goal. Nothing, then, feels like it's forever - and that enables you to pick up the game after any amount of time away and get just as much out of it as you did the first time you opened it on your Switch.
The Switch itself, though, is perfect for the type of game that Odyssey is. Wandering around the intricately detailed levels, you've got the ability to change your view constantly and see every single aspect of what you're looking at - a feature that can be overlooked for the sake of enhancing the gameplay in the foreground. Here, the visuals combined with controllers that enable both movement-based or trigger-based play add up to a juiced-up version of the Wii Remote's capabilities, and boy are we glad that they stayed with it. Being able to switch the way you do your primary actions - throwing your hat and moving around/jumping - keeps your fingers from seizing up or having controller fatigue. It also makes it so that the other amazing function of the Switch - its portability and mobile gameplay - is completely stellar and sets up a seamless transition between playing on your TV on the couch or on your handheld on the run.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the thing that completely and totally blew my mind about Super Mario Odyssey: for those of us lifelong fans, there's always been a sense that Mario existed in an alternate universe, one where there were maybe some human characteristics that transferred over to the world we were exploring, but didn't interact with regular people like us. This concept is completely turned on its head with the new game, introducing humans (!) and places that look far closer to our real world than anything we've ever seen in a Mario game. It's that extra little bit of jazz that makes the game feel like something fresh and new, and I promise the first time you come face to face with a real person in the game, you will, like me, have to pick your jaw up off the floor.
If it isn't completely obvious at this point, I'm officially a fan of Super Mario Odyssey and would recommend it to everyone from the newest gamer to the most OG Nintendo user. It's one of those games that comes around very rarely and immediately becomes a classic, blowing all that has come before out of the water. In other words: buy it. I promise you'll have a good time.
Net Neutrality Was Just Repealed - Here's What That Means For You
Net neutrality - or the right to a free, open internet - took a massive hit on Dec. 14 when federal regulators voted to repeal the Obama-era rules that prohibited telecommunications companies from commodifying the web into "fast" and "slow" lanes and from blocking access to certain websites and applications. With a 3-2 majority among the voting commissioners, Republicans took home a victory for the Trump administration's war on regulation. But just because it's on the Trump agenda doesn't mean that it's an issue that the GOP felt strongly about repealing. Instead, the vast majority of Americans - including four out of every five Republicans - were very much against this sort of repeal on the basis that it does far, far more harm than good. Ultimately, the driving motivation for those tasked with the decision was not making the internet better for consumers but increasing revenue for companies like Comcast and Verizon.
But what does this decision mean for us, as people who use the internet?
Firstly, it's important to note that we likely won't start feeling the brunt of the repeal in the next few weeks, or even months - at the end of the day, we're still talking about bureaucracy, and a decision of this magnitude doesn't appear on paper overnight. But once the decision has been fully entered into the federal register, internet service providers will then be able to carve out restrictions around the way we access, consume, and use the internet. At that point, companies will be able to take anticompetitive actions (slower speeds, fees for access) against platforms like Netflix and Hulu in order to drive consumers back to having monthly cable services and bundles, and, even more frighteningly, they'll be able to dictate the speed at which we can access certain parts of the web without having to explain themselves for it. That means that in a worst-case scenario, socially driven movements could have their online presence silenced (or, at the very least, slowed down) if their interests do not align with those of the cable providers, and there would be no repercussions for it.
Not all is lost just yet, though. We're now facing down what's sure to be a messy, widespread battle being fought not only in courtrooms across the country but on the floor of Congress as well. Ultimately, this means that now more than ever, it's crucial that we draw as much attention to this issue as possible - through calling representatives, staging protests, and taking action through the myriad organizations that will soon spring up to fight this - because the only way to ensure that this does not get pulled off as is is to make sure that it does not leave the news. There are a number of different lawsuits that are expected to be filed, and Congress has already started receiving bills to backtrack the action. But unless constant pressure is being put on those decision makers who have the power to change net neutrality's fate, it could be pushed aside for other pressing issues or used as an inappropriate bargaining chip in an already-gridlocked Congress.
For now, make your voice heard - and don't accept the fate of a blocked, gridlocked internet. We've come way too far to let this be decided by three individuals in a hearing, and as things develop, we will be sure to provide you with any and all actions you can take to ensure that we're able to keep the internet that we all deserve.
My New Year's Resolution Is to Tell All My Past Resolutions to Go F*ck Themselves
I don't like New Year's resolutions. They're either goals that are way too lofty and I'm setting myself up for failure the minute I make them, or they are half-assed promises that even as I say them or scribble them down on the fresh, lined paper of a fancy new annual planner, I know I won't keep. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of people who benefit greatly from using a new year to start with a clean slate, and I sincerely applaud them. But for me, coming off the heels of a truly terrible year, I'd like to do something a little different for myself this time around.
As a perfectionist Type A ball of stress who deals with very real anxiety on a daily basis, the idea of creating a resolution and then not living up to my (very high) expectations for myself is not appealing in the least. Do I really want to add more items to check off my already-overflowing to-do list? Not really. Do I foresee getting myself to the gym by 7 a.m. on a weekday even once this upcoming year? Um, no, I do not. I hate the gym. I want a glass of wine at the end of a long day, and I don't think I should guilt-trip myself every time I savor a sip. Yes, my past resolutions have all been utter failures, mostly because my heart wasn't in them.
I realized that the key to making a "resolution" that I'll actually keep is to not really make one at all.
So the question is, what is my heart into? Well, I'd like to be less stressed, actually. It's pretty simple, in theory. And in my opinion, an intimidating list of resolutions is pretty counterproductive to that goal. I realized that the key to making a "resolution" that I'll actually keep is to not really make one at all.
Instead, I want to focus on going against my very nature and instead try going with the flow - a concept that's entirely foreign to me. Instead of planning my every day down to the minute, I want to have nothing to do at all and savor the peace of that empty space instead of trying to fill it. My "resolution" is to stop worrying so much about doing everything I tell myself I "have" to do and instead try living a little more spontaneously. And, in order to stay true to my nonresolution, I'm going to go against my nature (again) and not worry about the way I plan on going about it. I'm going to try to let go a little of the control I cling so tightly to my knuckles are white with the effort of it. My nonresolution is to breathe. To slow down and to sometimes, even if it takes a little practice, just let myself be.
10 Travel Trends on the Rise in 2018
Often called the wanderlust generation, more and more young people are jet-setting than ever before. We move for so many reasons - the stories, the lessons, the lifelong memories, or to see if the Indian Ocean is really that blue. And the travel industry, like the explorers themselves, doesn't sit still. With the rise of pocket-friendly platforms like budget airlines and apartment sharing, globetrotting is that much easier. So as the industry continues to evolve, so do the types of trips we take.
To find out more about what travel trends are on the rise, we linked up with Jessica Bisesto, a senior editor at travel deals finder TravelPirates, to share her predictions for 2018. From flying solo to stomping grapes, here are 10 travel trends expected to soar in the new year.
The Most Popular Google Searches of 2017
There's no mincing words: 2017 was one hell of a year. It's hard to fathom how it's even humanly possible that everything that happened this year occurred in just 12 calendar months, but from politics to entertainment to weather phenomena and global tragedy, it all happened, and we've all got lots of feelings about each and every event that affected our lives. What better way, then, to measure the year that was than by examining the words we searched for the most on the internet?
That's the thinking behind Google's annual Year in Search report, which examines all of the data gathered throughout the last 365 days and ties it all up together with a nice neat bow (and, naturally, a list of what we searched for most). It's here that you'll see why it is that 2017 was the year that we asked "how" far more than anything else - and see how it shaped the way that each and every event went down. Not sure what that means? Ahead, witness the top stories of the year in one hell of a year-in-review video - and be sure to scroll through to read some of the most riveting parts of this year's study on US searches in easy-to-digest list form.
9 Ways to Get Alcohol For Free on a Plane
Getting free alcohol on flights is sort of my thing. Don't judge me (or do - I'll still be sipping away the next time I fly), but I quite enjoy a drink on a long flight. Or two. Or . . . well, anyway. The point is, as a frequent flier who takes red-eyes, international flights, and flights from the West Coast to East Coast often, I've got a system for getting my drink on (responsibly, of course) while not spending all that much money on the pricey airplane alcohol. I could be selfish and guard these secrets with my life, but what's the fun in drinking alone? Cheers to your next flight, hopefully one where free booze flows thanks to these tips and tricks.
1. Be nice!
You'd be surprised just how far this can get you. Flight attendants have to deal with a slew of annoying issues and complaints constantly, so a friendly face among the masses of disgruntled travelers can really stand out. Make friends with whoever is serving you, be genuine, and, if you can, make them smile or laugh. This will encourage them to return the kindness in the form of liquid friendship, if you're lucky.
2. Fly on a holiday.
Flying on a major holiday has its perks and drawbacks. While it can be a bit lonely and disheartening to be on a plane while friends and family celebrate something special, you may just appear pitiful enough to score yourself some free booze, especially if you're flying solo. I've flown alone on several Christmas Days and have gotten free drinks every time.
3. Order extra.
One of my drinks of choice when I'm flying is a Bloody Mary, but I never need the entire can of tomato juice for just one little airplane bottle of vodka - it screws up the ratio, but I hate wasting the juice! So ask your flight attendant to toss in a second airplane bottle if you're feeling extra boozy. Often, they'll throw it in for free, and sometimes they'll even give you several. One glorious red-eye flight found me double-fisting four airplane bottles for the price of one after a fun chat with a flight attendant led to a successful solo happy hour (and a great night's sleep on the plane . . .).
4. Fly internationally.
Many international airlines and international flights will offer free alcohol, depending on who you're flying with, where you're flying to/from, and how long your flight is. Make sure to either ask or check out the in-flight information so that you don't miss out on any freebies.
5. Go to your flight attendant instead of making them come to you.
OK, I definitely don't mean you should bombard them! But if they've already completed the drink service and you're still feeling a little thirsty, try approaching your favorite flight attendant rather than using the dreaded call button. It saves them the hassle of navigating all the way back to your seat, and they may thank you for it by keeping their card reader stashed soundly in the liquor cart while they slip you the good stuff.
6. Be helpful!
If a poor kid (or adult - no judgment) who is scared of flying wants to sit with a family member but is separated from them, offer up your seat. If someone is placed in the emergency exit row and doesn't feel comfortable performing the tasks, switch seats with them. You will help simplify everyone's lives, and flight attendants really appreciate that. It gives them more incentive to pay it forward with a bottle of booze.
7. Let your flight attendant know it's your special day.
If you're flying on your birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, or other special event, let your flight attendant know! You shouldn't expect anything from them, but if you're fun and engaging, your flight attendant may want to help you celebrate by offering you a glass of Champagne to say cheers with you.
8. Fly first class.
This is a no-brainer, but an easy way to get free alcohol is to fly first class, where it's (almost always) included. While not technically free since you're paying for it with the price of your ticket, if you get an upgrade to first class without having to pay extra, then you're in luck! Some airlines also offer free drinks in business class as well.
9. Be a frequent flier of an airline.
Members of JetBlue's Mosaic, American Airline's Executive members, and United Global Services passengers all get the drink upgrades for their loyalty. If you're a member of a loyalty program with an airline, check out what benefits are offered to see if alcohol is included!
35 Secrets to Marriage Success
For many married couples, falling in love and saying "I do" was the easy part. Living happily ever after is the part that takes a whole lot of work.
My family history doesn't have the best track record when it comes to the vow "until death do us part." My parents divorced when I was 18, and on my mom's side alone, not one single marriage has lasted (keep in mind, she's one of eight siblings). One might think this would make me a cynic when it comes to marriage - but for some unexplainable reason, that's not the case. Maybe I'm an idealist, but I think you can fall in love with your best friend, grow old together, and even live happily ever after.
I sought out some honest advice from real people who might have insight as to what makes a marriage stand the distance. I reached out to all the married couples and divorcées I knew and asked them the burning question, "What's the secret to making a marriage successful?" Read their words of wisdom below:
- Share everything with each other. Most importantly, everything you are feeling. There is no way to be on common ground if you don't communicate how you're feeling.
- Whatever bad stuff happens, remember this, too, will pass.
- Affection breeds more affection. Touch each other, kiss each other good morning, and have plenty of sex (even when you're old!). It's too easy to get out of the habit, which makes you feel distant. Intimacy and physical affection really help keep you connected.
- Children can be stressful, but they, too, will grow up.
- Let the little things go and think big picture. Since you're in it for the long haul, are you really going to care who did or didn't run the dishwasher when you look back in 10 years? Remind yourself that your relationship is much, much bigger than any one minor incident.
- Fill the fridge with his favorites - it's easy to do, so just do it.
- Take time for yourself to do what you love, what makes you happy and gives you energy - being successful as a couple will only work if each of you is strong and fulfilled as an individual.
- Avoid giving the silent treatment. Talk about things that bother you as soon as possible; don't let your emotions build up, because you'll likely explode.
- Let go of hurts more easily, and try not to dwell on things that annoy you.
- Don't be afraid to compromise. It sounds like a bad word and like you are giving up on your "ideals," but in reality it's about the push and pull of a relationship. Try rating how much you want something on a scale from one to 10 and have your partner do the same. So if eating out is a five for you and staying in is a nine for him, then you should stay in that night.
- Don't take each other for granted. You have to work at it all the time.
- Be spontaneous. Change things up every once in a while, whether that means a last-minute vacation or a card for no special occasion. Grand gifts and the smallest gestures can go a long way when you're with someone for a very long time.
- Be nice! This can be harder than it seems sometimes, but remember that you (hopefully) love the person more than anyone else on the planet and you chose to marry them, so treat them with kindness.
- Be patient. You both might grow together at different times and in different ways, so you need to give and take to make it last forever.
- Celebrate when good things happen, and be expressive about it.
- Find new things, new hobbies to do together like road biking, a cooking class, or starting a garden. It's just another reason to spend time together building your bond, and it keeps the excitement going.
- Marry someone you like killing time with.
- Tell them what you need. As much as you want them to, they can't read minds. Tell them that you feel disconnected and that you want a day alone together or date night.
- Speaking of date nights, go on them and have fun! It's important to set time alone regardless of how busy either gets - especially when you have kids. Even if you're overworked, overtired, or low on funds, it doesn't take much time or money to reconnect. It can be as simple as going for a walk or cooking dinner together.
- Make a budget together. It's a great way to talk about your plans and dreams for the future and how to make them happen.
- Surprise each other like you used to do when dating with special notes, small gifts, baking them a favorite recipe, or planning a weekend away. It lets the other person know you're still in love with them, and it makes you feel the love, too.
- On the other end, when your spouse does do something special for you, show appreciation. They may know that you think all those positive things, but it's nice to hear them out loud.
- Build your partner up and support them to be all they can or want to be.
- Take time to put yourself in your spouse's shoes before judging. You want to avoid unnecessary criticism or negativity as much as you can.
- Make each other laugh. Try not to take everything so seriously.
- Communication is key. When your marriage hits certain speed bumps, remind yourself that when you come out on the other side, your relationship should be better and more evolved. Make sure the tough times lead to improvement, and if you keep making the same mistakes, reevaluate why.
- Have couple friends but also your own friends who you hang out with on a regular basis, without your spouse.
- Be more generous with time and money.
- Be happy yourself. If you're in a slump, there's a tendency to take it out on your spouse or want them to fix it. You have to fix yourself.
- Don't get defensive. Try to come at things from a place of love and kindness, and don't assume you're being attacked.
- Trust and be trustworthy.
- Try to always remember why you fell in love with your partner. Whether it was their sense of humor or ambition - always remind yourself.
- Say "I love you," and tell your partner they look attractive.
- Appreciate what you have and realize that marriages at times can be fragile and need to be taken care of.
- Enjoy the NOW. Add a house, kids, etc. to the plate, and things just keep getting more complicated. Whatever phase you're in, embrace it and enjoy it.
13 of the Most Incredible "All I Want For Christmas Is You" Covers You'll Ever Hear
Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is arguably the best song that has ever been recorded she's ever recorded, and there are plenty of people out there who agree. The holiday queen's festive classic has spawned everything from annual concert specials to children's books and approximately one million cover songs. Because of this, we've rounded up the best of the best when it comes to the brave souls who've slain Carey's iconic tune. After all, is it even really Christmas if you haven't blasted that song while dancing around your living room? No. No, it is not. Keep reading to see which covers made the cut!
The Easy Eating Formula For Getting Rid of Body Fat
If you feel soft in the middle, you can either thank your mother for inheriting her blessed genetic predisposition for belly flab or your sweet kiddos who were created there. Whatever the reason, if you'd much rather have a sleeker midsection, as a mom of two, I can totally relate.
Although it's impossible to spot-reduce fat from specific areas, we've enlisted the help of Christmas Abbott, CrossFit competitor and author of The Badass Body Diet ($28), to help us ditch our pinch-more-than-an-inch tummies. As a formerly "skinny fat" woman who transformed her body through CrossFit and a dialed-in diet, Christmas understands how real women feel and also what they need to do to get the body they crave. "Food is your foundation, and fitness is the accessory," says Christmas. She believes that every meal and snack needs to embrace the macronutrient trifecta of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats to help reduce overall body fat, which will aid in reducing stubborn belly fat.
Christmas explains that all food can be categorized into a protein, a carbohydrate, or a fat. "You can't go wrong by dividing your plate into thirds and filling each section with a primo protein, primo carbohydrate, and primo fat." There are only two foods Christmas says to avoid - processed foods and alcohol - since these contribute to unwanted fat. If you want to know specifics about how many of each to eat, The Badass Body Diet outlines a diet plan based on your personal body type and goals.
What about exercise? Short, high-intensity training sessions are proven to help reduce belly fat faster than steady-state cardio. Below are some great examples of this type of workout.
- 45-minute walk-run-sprint interval workout for beginners
- 10-minute HIIT video from celeb trainer Astrid McGuire
- 60-minute walk-jog workout
- 7-minute workout that targets belly fat
- 20-minute full-body HIIT video workout
- 30-minute pyramid interval workout for the treadmill
- Tush-toning interval workout with hill repeats
And once the belly fat begins to dissolve, you'll want to reveal a carved, toned core with this 10-minute ab workout. Working out three times a week is great if you're starting out, then you can add additional days as your body becomes stronger. As a CrossFit competitor, Olympic lifter, and head trainer at CrossFit HQ, Christmas also makes a point that your workouts should be fun so you stick with them longer.
The Best Gadget Gifts That Don't Break $100
Mobile-device mavens, car connoisseurs, and audiophiles are hard to shop for - it seems like they already have it all! We've rounded up some great gadget accessories to give the techies in your life, and best of all, they're all under $100. It'll be a very merry Christmas indeed with one of these affordable tech treats for gadget geeks.
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