This move makes sense to anyone who remembers the days of battles like VHS vs Betamax for video standards. Everyone's hurt, including the customer, if different companies' products don't work together. https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-amazon-google-partner-on-smart-home-tech-2019-12 Here’s a followup derailing then terms of the agreement that are becoming visible: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/12/apple-google-and-amazon-team-up-for-joint-smart-home-standard/ In a rare move, Apple, Amazon, and Google just … Continue reading The three big techs joining to develop smart-home device standards to ensure compatibility
Month: December 2019
River of ice being born from a glacier surge and decreasing the ice more rapidly
For scientists, glaciers are proving to be places of wonder these days where the rapidity of melting is producing effects not seen before at speeds not seen before. https://www.livescience.com/first-evidence-glacier-surges-become-ice-streams.html A Never-Before-Seen Event Is Collapsing an Ice Sheet in the Russian Arctic By Rafi Letzter - Staff Writer, December 19, 2019 This isn't how ice is … Continue reading River of ice being born from a glacier surge and decreasing the ice more rapidly
Sweeping changes coming for nation’s retirement plans
Lots of meat here even if some of the details will be discovered only after regulations are drafted. https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-spending-bill-includes-significant-changes-to-u-s-retirement-system-11576780736 Congress Passes Sweeping Overhaul of Retirement System Bill encourages 401(k) plans to offer products with guaranteed income payment The Senate passed legislation Thursday that included changes to the nation’s retirement savings system. PHOTO: JULIO CORTEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS ByAnne Tergesen … Continue reading Sweeping changes coming for nation’s retirement plans
Teenager’s device for collecting plastic from Great Atlantic Garbage Patch beginning to work
The inventor was only 19 when the device to suck up ocean plastic first got attention from the public. As usual, it has taken awhile to take a good idea and produce a model for testing the underlying theories against reality. There is, finally, a bit of success altho the economic viability of the approach … Continue reading Teenager’s device for collecting plastic from Great Atlantic Garbage Patch beginning to work
Tweak these Google Chrome settings to improve your internet experience
There's always more you can do to tweak your browser experience to improve your day. Tweak These Google Chrome Settings to Level Up Your Browsing Get the most out of Google's Chrome browser with these tips and tricks. Photograph: Dimitri Otis/Getty Images Chances are you spend a lot of your computing time inside a browser … Continue reading Tweak these Google Chrome settings to improve your internet experience
“The Expanse” a sci-fi show seriously worth watching
The video series for "The Expanse" closely tracks the excellent books and is very much worth watching. My view tho is that it's better to watch a few a day at most as they're dense with info. Here's a nice article about the show: https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/the-expanse-season-4-amazon-prime-review 'The Expanse' Is a Seriously Great Sci-Fi Show That It's … Continue reading “The Expanse” a sci-fi show seriously worth watching
U.S. GDP remarkably concentrated in a limited number of cities
We've been fed the information regularly about how the economy's engine is based in large metropolitan areas but it's even more concentrated than thought. Click thru to the charts in the article to see it visually. A few tidbits: the five counties comprising New York City produce 4.8% of the country's GDP. This area also … Continue reading U.S. GDP remarkably concentrated in a limited number of cities
Be gentle to your hair rather than just spending more money
Hair products don't need to be expensive. Many of the problems that people have with their hair are created by washing too often with water that's too hot. Using a drugstore shampoo can be all you need. I've used the final product listed for some time with my color treated hair. My color holds. My … Continue reading Be gentle to your hair rather than just spending more money
Alarmingly large methane flow measured as disastrous with just one satellite pass
Methane is a more dangerous gas than CO2 when looking at the implications for the global climate crisis. A key sentence here is that this particular blowout releases more methane in 20 days than the oil and gas industries of Frances, Norway, and the Netherlands do in a year. We already know that methane has … Continue reading Alarmingly large methane flow measured as disastrous with just one satellite pass
Everything you need to know about shingles and its vaccines
This puts everything in one place from what shingles is, to what it will feel like if you get it, and how to avoid it if you're over 50. https://www.cleveland.com/business/2019/12/shingles-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-virus-and-its-vaccine-health-matters.html Shingles vaccine and virus: What you need to know December 15, 2019, 5:00 AM Shingles, which causes a painful rash, is on the rise in … Continue reading Everything you need to know about shingles and its vaccines
Three places to get wonderful chocolate on the UWS of Manhattan
https://www.westsiderag.com/2019/12/15/two-chocolate-shops-open-on-uws-and-a-third-is-winning-fans Two Chocolate Shops Open on UWS, and a Third is Winning Fans Posted on December 15, 2019 at 3:12 pm by West Sider From Moka’s grand opening. If the Upper West Side has the aroma of chocolate these days, there’s a good reason. Several chocolate stores have opened recently. Moka, a handmade chocolate and … Continue reading Three places to get wonderful chocolate on the UWS of Manhattan
Favorite reads in the romance genre from 2019
So often lists of best romances lack variety. I love that this features different historical periods, different cultures and races, at least one gay relationship, humorous and not. In other words, the field of romance is broadly defined here. Hallelujah. https://www.bookbub.com/blog/best-new-romance-books-of-the-year?position=4&source=multicontent&target=title 15 of the Best Romance Books of 2019 By Melissa Flandreau•December 12, 2019•4 min read If … Continue reading Favorite reads in the romance genre from 2019
Abycats' Thoughts 