The 5 Safest Cities In The World

We care about staying safe during our travels, especially when we take our epic adventures solo. There’s no reason for travel disasters when you can prevent them.

That’s why we have special interest in visiting the world’s safest cities, as recently ranked in The Economist’s Safe Cities Index. The Economist Intelligence Unit looked at 50 cities, selected for factors including their size and availability of data. The cities were ranked on more than 40 metrics that spanned four main categories: digital security, health security, infrastructure safety and personal safety.

Wealthy Asian cities, like Tokyo and Singapore. The other top spots went to cities in Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S. (go NYC!).

And it doesn’t hurt that while they’re safe, these cities are also pretty incredible to visit. The Economist’s 5 safest cities in the world are:

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Singapore

3. Osaka, Japan

4. Stockholm, Sweden

5. Amsterdam, the Netherlands

For the record, the safest city in America that the index considered was New York, which came in 10th place. San Francisco followed in 12th place, Chicago ranked 16th, Los Angeles was 17th, and Washington, D.C. was 19th. (No other U.S. cities were included in the rankings.)

Oh and if you’re curious, the cities that came in at the bottom of the list were:

46. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

47. Johannesburg, South Africa

48. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

49. Tehran, Iran

50. Jakarta, Indonesia

These cities ranked low in all four of the report’s categories of safety: Ho Chi Minh City, for example, finished last in “infrastructure safety” (the quality of roads, number of disaster-related deaths, etc.), and Tehran was second to last in “health security” (the cities’ number of hospital beds and average life expectancies).

The report notes that wealth and economic development is closely linked to city safety but certainly does not guarantee it. Researchers also wrote that, “Being statistically safe is not the same as feeling safe.”

While there are many factors indeed that make a city “safe” or “unsafe,” it never hurts to consider the facts before a trip — and we certainly plan to do so. Cheers to safe travels, everyone!

Meet 'Luna,' The Genius Mattress Cover That's Better Than A Roommate

“Everything around us is getting smarter, except our bed.”

That’s what Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder of Luna, said when explaining his decision to help make the world’s first smart mattress cover.

Come to think of it, we have spent a lot of time thinking about smart homes before, but between your mattress and the thread count in your sheets, how much thought have you ever really put into your mattress pad?

luna

Luckily, Luna will do most of the thinking for you.

By simply plugging your mattress cover into the wall (it has an adaptor on the cover that makes all of this possible) Luna literally tracks and learns your bedtime so that it can adjust the music, temperature and heating/air conditioning in your bedroom. Luna will even lock your doors for you.

luna

In the morning, Luna functions as an alarm clock, waking you up during the lightest cycle of your sleep with the option to turn on some subtle tunes AND your coffee pot, making getting out of bed that much easier. It’ll even let you know how well you slept.

Basically, this mattress pad is better than a roommate.

The mattress cover is paired with a free app for both iOS and Android to allow third-party device integration (this is so that you can use it turn on your coffee pot or lock your doors, etc) and adjust dual-side temperature (one partner likes the bed colder, one partner likes the bed a little warmer).

luna

Luna is on sale now in both queen and king sizes starting at $179, and you can find out more buying information on their website here.

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Slow Cooker Super Bowl Recipes That Will Feed A Crowd

Super Bowl Sunday is fast approaching. Have you planned your Super Bowl party menu yet? If you haven’t figured out what you’re going to cook for the big game, don’t panic. We’ve got Super Bowl recipe collections that run the gamut from wings and nachos to sliders. We’ve also rounded up some stellar slow cooker recipes that were pretty much made for the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Sunday is a day for endless snacking. While you might think of your slow cooker as a kitchen device meant for big, one-pot meals and not necessarily one for churning out snack food, just wait ’til you get a load of these recipes. From Carne Asada Nachos to Buffalo Chicken Meatballs, the recipes you can cook in your slow cooker are definitely snackable. Of course, you can also cook up larger dishes like pulled pork sandwiches and chili. Whatever you’re making in your slow cooker, you’ll be able to feed your entire party. Just make sure you’re comfortable hosting all big sporting events in the future, because your friends won’t forget this feast.

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How To Make Nachos In The Slow Cooker

Yes we can!

These are both the words of Obama’s inspiring chant that helped him win the 2008 presidential election and the truth about making carne asada nachos in the slow cooker.

slow cooker nachos

Who wouldn’t want to dive into this loaded chip dish? Flank steak, guac, beer and cheese (of course) all come together in this beautiful display of perfect party food. Serve it at your Super Bowl party, make it for a friend who needs some cheering up, bring it to a new neighbor … whatever you do, just make sure you cook them some time this winter. You’re never going to look at your slow cooker the same way again.

Get the full recipe from How Sweet Eats here.

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How Radical 70s Scientists Tried to Change the World

How Radical 70s Scientists Tried to Change the World

In the 1970s, radical scientists thought they could change the world – if they could change science first. As told to Alice Bell.

Read more…



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While law enforcement has been using license plate readers to track vehicles for a while, they never formed into a unified network. In fact, the Department of Homeland Security posited a 29-page document about a vehicle-tracking network, but the idea…

Xbox One Controller’s Firmware Update Makes It Connect Faster

xboxone-360-emuGiven that the Xbox One controllers are wireless, it is understandable that they will take a few seconds to pair with your console when you turn it on. It’s not a big deal and for the most part, we’re sure most gamers will probably not think too much about it. However if you don’t like the wait, then the latest firmware update is something you should take a look at.

Microsoft has recently released a firmware update for the Xbox One controller. The update will actually improve the time it takes for the controller to connect to your console. Previously it had taken about 5 seconds to connect, but with the firmware update, it will now take about 2 seconds for it to connect.

We have yet to install this update ourselves so we can’t verify if it does take a shorter amount of time, but if you have already updated, do let us know in the comments below if you believe that the connecting time has indeed been sped up. Now apart from the little boost in speed, the update will also bring about some fixes and improvements and improved stability, so you should probably update regardless.

For those who are unsure if they have updated, check the firmware version of your controller. If it isn’t version 1.2.2236.0, then chances are you are still running on an older firmware and you should probably check for an update.

Xbox One Controller’s Firmware Update Makes It Connect Faster , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Former Opera CEO Launches Vivaldi Browser, Targets The Power User

vivaldi browserThere are multiple browsers available at the moment for computers to choose from. For example you have Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and these are just some of the more well-known ones. However it looks like we can soon add another challenger to that list in the form of Vivaldi.

Vivaldi is a new browser that made its debut today. Now if you’re wondering if Vivaldi has the chops to take on the big boys, it should be noted that the company behind the browser was Opera’s former CEO, Jon S. von Tetzchner. However unlike most browsers which target the more mainstream user, Vivaldi wants to target the power user who might demand more features and functionality.

According to von Tetzchner, “Most browsers makers in the market are trying to make a limited browser, maybe with extensions. But that is not what everyone wants. As an example, there are still about 20 million people still using Opera 12, even though that browser is more than 3 years old. There is a need for a browser for the tech user, the user that wants more from their browser.”

For example some of the features of Vivaldi includes an interface for issuing written commands, the ability to annotate web pages with tags and screenshots, an improved visual bookmark system, tab stacks, and also a speed dial tool that will allow users to reach their favorite websites quickly. If you’re interested in checking it out, you can download the Vivaldi Technical Preview 1 via its website. It will be compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms with mobile soon to follow.

Former Opera CEO Launches Vivaldi Browser, Targets The Power User , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

OftenType iOS Keyboard Wants To Help Make Your Typing More Efficient

One of the more awesome new features that Apple brought to the table with iOS 8 is the ability for users to download custom keyboards. This means that if you don’t like the default iOS keyboard, you’re more than welcome to download alternatives like Fleksy, SwiftKey, and so on, but if you’re looking for something even less conventional, then OftenType could be a keyboard worth checking out.

So what is OftenType? Basically it is a keyboard for iOS that wants to help you save time by offering up buttons and keys for words/phrases that you normally type. For example if you fill up a lot of forms online, or if you’re using your phone to respond to business enquiries where you might have to give out your name, address, or email, instead of having to constantly type it out, you just press OftenType’s buttons and it will fill it out for you.

We should note that iOS already has an abbreviation feature where you could type in “omw” and it will autocomplete to “on my way”, but if you’d rather not have to remember your all you abbreviations, then perhaps this app could help save you some time. However OftenType is not a free download and will cost you $0.99, but if you think that it will come in handy, then head on over to the iTunes App Store for the download, or check out the video above to get an idea of what you could expect.

OftenType iOS Keyboard Wants To Help Make Your Typing More Efficient , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.