One of the more annoying things about Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon's television streaming libraries is the vast difference between the selection available. It would be almost impossible to get a thorough idea of who has the better library without searching for hundreds of TV shows on each service and comparing them manually. So we did just that.
    
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With luck, you'll never find yourself alone, far from civilization, faced with the task of ensuring your own survival. If you do, this 1950s training video from the US Navy has some valuable tips and tricks to help you find safe food and water, build shelter, and take care of yourself.
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We often discuss how your brain can trick you and, by proxy, how you can hack your brain, but there are a few things our minds are very good at tricking us into that we should be aware of. This video from the folks at DNews is a crash course in three of them: Sunk cost, optimism bias, and confirmation bias.
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No matter how in tune you are with your partner, misunderstandings and communication gaffes are always possible. Here are five of the most common, yet avoidable communication mistakes that could harm a relationship.
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Dear Lifehacker,
Like most people, I've pooped a lot in my lifetime. Usually things follow a fairly predictable pattern, but now and then I've seen unusual colors and shapes. I don't feel bad or have any discomfort, but I'm concerned these changes might mean something. How can I figure out when I should be concerned about the shape and color of my poop?
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Readers offer their best tips for creating less mess when making muffins, using the Google Map Gallery, and converting volume to weight when cooking.
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When you write with most highlighters, you can't see the upcoming text. This can cause you to highlight the wrong area and veer off the line a bit. Uni Promark View Highlighters use transparent plastic in the tip, however, so you can see the upcoming text and highlight perfectly.
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Say hello to Dr. Jill Murphy, owner of MotionWorks Physical Therapy in Appleton, Wisconsin. Dr. Murphy was recently named the Wisconsin physical therapist of the year and has over a decade of experience as a physical therapist, athletic trainer, and strength and conditioning specialist. She's here today lending her expertise on joint wear and tear, muscle tension, and pain (and more importantly, how to avoid these things). Have questions for Dr. Murphy? She's here for the next hour—ask away!
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A fresh tomato is a delight — until it's spent a few days in the refrigerator. Then it transforms into a mushy, tasteless mess. Here's the scientific reason why you should never, ever refrigerate your tomatoes. But — if you absolutely must — there is a way to do it.
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When we're in the workplace it's often hard to admit when you don't know something, especially if you're talking with a client. However, 42 Floors points out that sometimes "I don't know" actually adds credibility.
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We already know the wonders of baking soda when it comes to cleaning and deodorizing. You can take this freshening power to any room of the house with a crockpot, baking soda, and water.
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Dear Lifehacker,
I just moved into my own place! It's my first home, and I'm excited. However, I know there are repairs I'll have to do myself, and I have some improvements I'd like to make too. Problem is, I don't know where to begin. How do I use these tools, and where do I even get them? How do I make sure my work is safe and not damaging my home? Does anyone offer training for new homeowners or something?
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If the screen below has ever popped up as you were supposedly logging into Netflix, we've got some bad news for you. No, it's not your Netflix account—that's perfectly safe (at least for now). But if you followed the instructions on the screen, you've been duped by a new phishing scheme that seems so painfully obvious, it's almost brilliant.
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Android: Disconnect Search, the utility that lets you search the web's most popular search engines without being tracked , has arrived on Android. Now you can search Google, Bing, Yahoo, Blekko, and even DuckDuckGo without leaving a trace.
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It's no secret that your resume shouldn't just be a list of old jobs—it needs to be visually appealing as well, within reason. Many use Microsoft Word to get the job done, but if you don't have it (or can't afford it because seriously, you're looking for a job), Google Docs has some great resume templates too.
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Can you shave a few milliliters off the amount of detergent that you use in every load of laundry and still get your clothes as clean? You probably can, but we’re curious after checking out this slight change in the amount of Tide detergent in a bottle while the number of loads per bottle remains unchanged.
“I noticed this today at Wal-Mart,” she writes. “New and old packaging side by side. Maybe the lid size changed…? Couldn’t find any evidence on the bottles.”
The bottle change makes each theoretical serving of detergent .6 ounces lighter. Does that make a difference? Is there less detergent in the bottle, or is it slightly more concentrated than it used to be?
Hmm. We’re not sure. We dropped Procter & Gamble an e-mail, and will update this post if we hear anything from them.
Poor Keurig. Their K-Cup coffeemakers are immensely popular with consumers, but so are K-Cup-compatible brewing systems and coffee pods made by other manufacturers. That’s okay, though: the brand, part of Green Mountain Coffee, is in the process of developing its next brewer. The Keurig 2.0, you might say. This brewer won’t play nice with any unlicensed coffee pods.
Much like inkjet printers, the real profit in the coffee-pod biz is in selling customers ink or coffee that your company either sells or is earning licensing fees from. Until recently, all disposable coffee pods used in Keurig machines had to be Keurig-licensed. The patent has now expired, and anyone with a coffee business and a dream can make K-Cup compatible coffee pods. The company’s next brewer won’t allow that kind of nonsense. Keurig 2.0 machines will enforce this in the future by using digital rights management (DRM), or the same technology that explains why you can’t send all of your co-workers your iTunes copy of the new Beyonce album.
Of course, the ostensible reason is to keep substandard beverages from being brewed by a Keurig machine. “To ensure the system delivers on the promise of excellent quality beverages produced simply and consistently every brew every time, we use interactive technology to help us perfectly brew all Keurig brew packs,” explained president and CEO Brian Kelley during an earnings call late last year. Translation: if your pods aren’t Keurig-approved and fully licensed, no one will be able to brew them.
Okay, but we’ve known that this was coming since last November. Why is it in the news now? No one outside of the coffee business really seemed to care about this situation until Treehouse Foods filed a lawsuit against Keurig. Who is Treehouse Foods? They’re a maker of K-Cup-compatible pods under brands like Grove Square that regular Keurig users might recognize. In the suit, they accuse Keurig of unfair competition, monopolizing the single-serve brewer market. When the new generation machines lock out all other manufacturers, the company will have even more of an unfair advantage over competitors.
Take Our PollKeurig Will Use DRM In New Coffee Maker To Lock Out Refill Market [Techdirt]
Lawsuit [PDF]
That’s not actually the White House, it’s a scene from a movie.
As a result of that non-emergency use, the Federal Communications Commission wants to fine three TV companies for using the EAS sounds, reports Re/code, because the White House wasn’t attacked and Gerard Butler didn’t save the day, at least not in real life.
The FCC is slapping proposed fines of almost $2 million on Viacom, NBCUniversal and Walt Disney’s ESPN for airing that trailer multiple times, as it potentially could’ve freaked people out.
Broadcasters and cable channels are required by law to test the EAS now and then to make sure it’s working in case there really is a guerilla attack on the White House or some other emergency situation.
Back when the trailer aired in early March last year, the FCC received complaints in the days after and broadcast groups realized they should pull the trailer.
“Frivolous, casual, or other uses of EAS Tones for reasons other than their defined purpose can desensitize viewers to the tones and thereby undermine the effectiveness of the system in the event of an actual emergency,” the FCC said in its complaint. “Although admitting their inclusion of actual EAS Tones in commercials transmitted in their programming, the companies have questioned their liability under the Act and the Commission’s rules.”
Both ESPN and Viacom say their advertising guidelines have changed since then to bar any future ads from using either real EAS tones or anything that could sound similar.
Check out the trailer below:
Cable Channels Hit With Nearly $2 Million Fine for Airing Movie Trailer [Re/code]
With 1,645 billionaires, 172 of which are women, and an aggregate net worth of $1.64 billion, this year’s Billionaire List is the biggest yet, Forbes announced today.
The list includes 268 new billionaires from across the globe including four countries that have never had a billionaire before.
Topping the list after a four-year break is Microsoft mogul Bill Gates with an estimated worth of $76 billion. Forbes credited Gates’ return to the top spot to a bounce in Microsoft shares and a leadership shakeup at the software company.
Gates isn’t all about making money, though. He seems to like giving it away. In December, one lucky Reddit user received a secret santa gift from Gates when he donated a cow to Heifer International in her name.
The known philanthropist continues his foundation’s efforts to eradicate polio, even eliciting donations from his fellow billionaires. He has also worked to convince other mega-rich individuals to promise to donate at least half of their net worth to charity by sign the Giving Pledge. Now, that’s networking at its finest.
Last year’s top billionaire, Mexican mining and telecom owner, Carlos Slim Helu, fell to No.2 this year. But we’re sure his $72 billion is a nice consolation prize.
Amancio Ortega is the world’s richest retailer and No. 3 on the list with a net worth of $64 billion. The Spaniard is best known for his Zara brand.
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett checks into the list at No. 4 with a net worth of $58.2 billion. There’s still time to get a piece of Buffett’s fortune, that is if you can create the perfect March Madness Bracket.
Rounding out the top five is San Franciscan and Oracle Corporation CEO Larry Ellison with $48 billion.
The first woman on the list shows up at No. 8 in form of Christy Walton, of the Wal-Mart Waltons. Christy Walton has boosted her net worth to $36.7 billion, well past her family members.
Countries appearing on the list for the first time include Lithuania with food and pharmaceuticals retailer Nerijus Numavicius, Tanzania with telecom investor Rostam Azizi, Algeria with food sales businessman Issad Rebrab and Uganda with real estate conglomerate founder Sudhir Ruparelia.
First-time billionaires on the list include several from tech companies including WhatsApp creator Jan Koum, Twitter cofounder Evan Williams, and Dropbox cofounder and CEO Drew Houston.
Inside The 2014 Forbes Billionaires List: Facts And Figures [Forbes]
The World’s Billionaires [Forbes]
(Darden)
Olive Garden has been busy trying to convince people it’s not the same fast casual dining experience it’s always been — first with tapas, then a burger and some new menus, and now Darden is pinning its hopes and dreams on a revamped logo as part of its “brand renaissance” efforts.
In a presentation to investors today (you can see the entire slide show in PDF here if that’s your thing), Darden shows off the new logo which my colleague Laura points out looks kind of like a generic package of veggie burgers.
The company is “very excited” about the logo, calling it “clean, fresh and appealing.”
“We started with brand conditioning as the foundation for our initial design,” Dave Pickens, chief restaurant operations officer for Darden, said in the presentation. “We then conducted extensive testing and quantitative research to further shape and validate the new design.”
Executives also dished about new plateware (!) coming in 2015 that ”lets the food be the star” and addressed the upcoming spinoff of Red Lobster.
“We believe separation will allow Red Lobster and the rest of Darden to better serve what are increasingly divergent guest targets,” the company said in the presentation. “Separation removes from Darden the high level of same restaurant sales volatility associated with the more promotional nature of the Red Lobster business.”
Take Our PollYou can follow MBQ on Twitter to see if she changes her logo for brand renaissance: @marybethquirk
(Dunkin’ Donuts)
Due to its tricky-to-make-at-home nature, Eggs Benedict is often treated as the darling of the brunch menu. But Dunkin’ Donuts has circumvented that whole thing by debuting its new Eggs Benedict breakfast sandwich, using a cream cheese-ish sort of spread to replace the the traditional Hollandaise sauce, and an egg patty instead of poached eggs. Because messy.
Because we’re not sure anyone would savor the idea of a donut chain attempting the time intensive, delicate mix of egg yolk and liquid butter involved in a Hollandaise sauce, Dunkin’ Donuts says the spread it’ll use atop the peppered egg and Black Forest ham sandwiches is closer to cream cheese.
“The biggest innovation challenge was creating the Hollandaise spread,” executive chef Stan Frankenthaler tells Business Insider. “The key was to create something that wasn’t messy and could be applied to the English Muffin very quickly.”
“Our employees are used to putting cream cheese on bagels very quickly, so this is no different,” he said.
He also aimed to make the sandwich portable, which a poached egg and drippy sauce is decidedly not.
“I wanted to take this popular breakfast entree that people order in sit-down restaurants and turn it into something people could get quickly and take with them,” he explained.
Because Hollandaise is one of my personal Kryptonites (the others being beets and Bill Pullman), I won’t be trying this sandwich anytime in the near future (unless someone makes an Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch sandwich and then I might be convinced). But feel free to chime in at tips@consumerist.com if you’ve tried the sandwich, and let us know if it’s anything near actual Eggs Benedict.
You can follow MBQ on Twitter if you’re not Bill Pullman or some beets: @marybethquirk
Dunkin’ Donuts Brand New Breakfast Innovation Is An Eggs Benedict Sandwich [Business Insider]
When the Food and Drug Administration decided last year that the brand name version of the morning-after pill, Plan B, could be sold to anyone of any age without a prescription, it granted the drug’s manufacturer three years of protection from generic competition. The FDA has now reconsidered that concession.
The FDA announced its decision to increase access to generic versions of emergency contraception pills to anyone of any age, off the shelf without a prescription, in an 11-page letter (PDF) to manufacturers of the generic products(via NPR).
Originally when the FDA decided to open up Plan B to all ages last year, it said it would let Teva be the only one on the market because it’d completed a study on the product’s use by teenagers.
But in reversing that decision now, the FDA took into account arguments from women’s health groups who wanted the product to be widely available. Plan B is often more expensive than generics, making it more affordable for many women.
The FDA’s acting director of its Office of Generic Drugs, Kathleen Uhl, writes that Teva’s stance that competitors should be barred from selling their products over the counter without age restrictions “is too broad.”
Instead, the FDA says the generic versions will have to indicate on package labels that the products are intended for “women 17 years of age or older,” but there will be no requirement to produce proof of age at the register.
FDA To Increase Access To Generic Morning-After Pills [NPR]
(YouTube)
There are a lot of things one would reasonably expect to happen in the course of a normal breakfast — bacon, toast, coffee, a sense of satiation after a night of growing hungry in your sleep. But a ginormous wave crashing through the window of a restaurant? Not so expected.
Diners at a seaside restaurant in Santa Barbara were enjoying the usual breakfast activities mentioned above on Saturday morning, pouring coffee, eating eggs and filming the scene, as one does, when stormy weather sent a huge wave slamming into the building, crashing through one of its windows.
An eyewitness who happened to have his camera on at the crucial moment posted a video of the incident to YouTube and sent it to the Santa Barbara Independent, explaining what it was like to be gnoshing one moment and covered in water the next.
He says he was filming the storm surf breaking on the pier outside, and mentioned to others that the pier would probably be closed soon as a result of the high surf. A minute later, as he spotted a set of waves approaching, he picked up his phone to film, catching the moment when one of those waves came through the window.
“The dining room was filled with the sound of glass shattering and people screaming as a wave of water rushed over the dining room carpet,” he writes in the video’s description. “Everyone froze, including the staff. So, I rushed over to make sure there were not any major injuries. I proceeded to warn everyone of the danger that could follow with the next wave and to evacuate the room.”
He says the room was evacuated without any more injuries.
“I then looked at the manager and asked, ‘Do you mind [if] I don’t pay for my breakfast and move on?”‘
Check out the two videos below, and see if you feel like requesting a window seat next time:
Pringles started its run of especially wacky flavors a few years ago under new owners Kellogg. They bought the brand from the apparently less creative Procter & Gamble in 2012, and that’s when the flavor abominations started. Like dessert Pringles.
When we polled readers on the subject last fall, you were almost evenly divided on the question of whether dessert Pringles should even be a thing.
It doesn’t matter all that much what we think, though. Pringles is still the winner in all this: we’re talking about the brand, aren’t we?
SPOTTED ON SHELVES – Bacon Pringles (Walmart Exclusive) [The Impulsive Buy]
PREVIOUSLY:
At Least White Chocolate Pringles Are Only A Seasonal Offering
Pecan Pie Pringles Appear In Stores, We’re Not Sure Why
Just What We Needed: Pumpkin Pie And Peppermint Chocolate-Flavored Pringles
Yes, Pringles Are Potato Chips
Reunited and it feels sooo good (Arby’s/eBay).
Arby’s had that thought too, tweeting at the “Happy” recording artist, “Hey Pharrell, can we have our hat back?”
Hey @Pharrell, can we have our hat back? #GRAMMYs—
Arby's (@Arbys) January 27, 2014
The fast-food chain and its beloved, floppy tan hat (by designer Vivienne Westwood, which means it’s fancy) have been reunited in social media bliss, as Pharrell — wearing a similar black, tall, oddly-shaped hat to perform at the Academy Awards last night, tweeted during the show that he was glad someone had bought the hat for charity.
It kind of sounds like he had no idea Arby’s was behind it as he thanked “whoever” bought it — but he’s sure as heck aware of it now:
“Thank you to whoever bought my Grammy hat on @eBay for $44,100. Your donation benefits From One Hand To AnOTHER.”
Arby’s replied, “.@Pharrell You’re welcome. We’re HAPPY to support a great cause & get our hat back. Good luck at the #Oscars tonight!
.@Pharrell You're welcome. We're HAPPY to support a great cause & get our hat back. Good luck at the #Oscars tonight! http://t.co/2oA7qDPX9z—
Arby's (@Arbys) March 03, 2014
The $44,100 winning bid will benefit the charity From One Hand to Another, a group that helps kids learn through technology and the arts.
Money going to a good cause and Arby’s can claim it knows what the kids are talking about today — it’s a win-win. Except for anyone who actually wears that shamockery of a chapeau because come on, it’s just so silly.
You can follow MBQ on Twitter but don’t expect any hat pics: @marybethquirk
Just ask the Florida man who reached an $80,000 settlement in 2011 with the school where he’d previously been the headmaster, only to have his daughter ruin that victory with a bragging Facebook post.
Soon after hearing about her dad’s settlement, the daughter went online and shared with her 1,200 friends that her parents had won their case, and that the school “is now officially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer.”
And just for good measure, she added, “SUCK IT.”
Of course, a number of those 1,200 friends still attended the very school she had told to “suck it,” so it didn’t take long for the school’s lawyers to hear about this semi-public boasting.
None of this sat well with the school, which immediately told the former headmaster that it wasn’t going to pay because he’d violated the nondisclosure agreement in the settlement.
A court later said the dad should get the money, but the school appealed that decision. Last week an appeals court sided with the school, ruling that the dad “violated the agreement by doing exactly what he had promised not to do,” and that “His daughter then did precisely what the confidentiality agreement was designed to prevent.”
This is why I’m never having children.
Daughter’s Facebook Brag Costs Her Family $80,000 [Yahoo]
Daughter’s Facebook boast costs former Gulliver Prep headmaster $80,000 discrimination settlement [Miami Herald]
The fake, but tasty-sounding, inspection sticker compared to a sample of what an actual Massachusetts inspection sticker should look like.
Late Friday night, the police in Salisbury, MA, shared this Tweet showing a clipped short rib recipe that a driver had put in his window, presumably in the hope that no one would take a closer look:
A suspect tried to pass this off as a valid inspection sticker on his car tonight. Needless to say he was arrested. http://t.co/7XT63W7RHU—
Salisbury Police (@SalisburyPolice) March 01, 2014
According to Massachusetts state law, it’s a crime to “falsely make, steal, alter, forge or counterfeit” an inspection sticker. It’s a punishable offense that could earn a driver a fine of up to $500 and a maximum of five years in a state prison.
Prince William County community calendar, March 2-8, 2014 Washington Post Sunday, March 2. “Operation Urgent Fury: Invasion of Grenada,” photographs and artifacts chronicling the invasion of Grenada. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. Free. 877-635-1775. “The Lima ... Snow Day Decisions for Manassas Area SchoolsPatch.com all 9 news articles » |
