Sid Meier scares the crap out of me. I’m deeply familiar with the famed strategy game creator’s resume — from the history-spanning Civilization series to the high seas simulations in Sid Meier’s Pirates! — but I’ve only ever played one of his games…
March has brought us a vague idea of the warm weather to come. It’s a tease in comparison to the real thing as snow keeps cropping up here and there, but we’re rearing and ready for the sun to shine and the temperature to rise. Of course, this means we have to start prepping for the summer barbeques and beach side events we want to attend.
While we can’t exactly don our swimsuits just yet, we can plan for what new summer toys we want. If you’re a big fan of having friends over for backyard soirees, then having an Outdoor Beverage Table would be quite useful. This is a very sleek looking table with a bowl built in so you can put ice, stones, or whatever else you think might be helpful or aesthetically pleasing. This is made out of a concrete and resin mixture that measures 43” in diameter.
This is not a necessarily large table, as it is likely the same height if not smaller than a coffee table. This can come to you in white (which looks like something the Apple store would have cooked up), or black. It can weigh anywhere from 54-198 pounds in the box (the color you choose will determine the weight, though I’m sensing a typo somewhere), but will weigh more if you’re putting a bucket of ice and bottles into it. The price difference is pretty staggering, as the white will cost you $1,850, while the black will cost you $1,450. While this may be neat for parties, it might be better to spend money on the beverages and snacks for your guests instead.
Available for purchase on horchow, found via thegreenhead
[ The Outdoor Beverage Table – chill out dude copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
The rabbit who got this Game of Thrones style Iron Throne is one very lucky bunny. He goes by the name of Wallace the rabbit and after getting this throne, he has probably become a real tyrant. His human made the throne for him using nothing but carrots and cardboard.
You can watch it being built in the video below. In an odd twist, it turns out that the rabbit didn’t even eat this throne. The owner says that he ate most of it. The rabbit was probably worried about being poisoned in the early days of his reign.
May House Tar-hare-yen rule for a thousand years.
[via Time]
An embarrassing privacy breach by an employee of the Australian immigration department resulted in the personal details of world leaders who attended the G20 summit last year being leaked. Leaked information included visa details, passport numbers as well as other personal identifiers of all world leaders who attended the summit in Australia. The details were inadvertently emailed to organizers of the Asian Cup football tournament.
Just in case you’re wondering who the world leaders were, in attendance at G20 last year were the likes of U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian supremo Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, China’s President Xi Jinping, as well as prime ministers of the UK, India and Japan.
According to The Guardian this information was mistakenly emailed to a member of the local organizing committee of the Asian Cup by an employee of the Australian immigration department. An email concerning the subsequent investigation obtained by the scribe under Australia’s freedom of information laws reveals:
“The cause of the breach was human error. [Redacted] failed to check that the autofill function in Microsoft Outlook had entered the correct person’s details into the email ‘To’ field. This led to the email being sent to the wrong person.”
Fortunately this didn’t turn into an international incident. The Asian Cup committee says that they promptly deleted the email, even from the trash folder, so it was never in the public domain.
However since it’s not clear if the world leaders were identified of this breach the Australian immigration department might find itself in breach of privacy laws in some of their countries.
Personal Details Of World Leaders Who Attended G20 Last Year Leaked
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Dropbox announced today that when you now preview a document using a web browser it’s going to load faster, look even better and offer more functionality. The biggest change that Dropbox has made is that the document toolbar is now at the bottom of the preview. This allows the toolbar to adapt to the type of file being previewed, be it a document, spreadsheet, presentation or PDF, on any major web browser.
This will ensure that users are always provided with the right type of options when they preview a document on the web. Options include zooming in, switching to full-screen mode, flipping between pages and even printing straight from the preview.
The new toolbar will appear when you hover over the bottom of the screen. It’s there without getting in the way, and blocking content that you’re trying to preview.
Dropbox says that this change is part of its efforts to save you more time, get you to the files that you need swiftly and efficiently.
Collaboration will also go easier particularly when you send or receive files through shared links because if you just need to skim through the document, or even present it, you don’t necessarily have to download it.
According to Dropbox the new web preview experience will be available to all users in the next few days.
Dropbox Gives Web Previews A Fresh Coat Of Paint
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The world of Chromebooks is starting to get more crowded, as more and more models are being churned out. Having said that, this can only mean one thing – with a larger array of models to choose from, consumers will have a greater say as to what the next step the Chromebook industry should take. it has been four years since the Chromebook was introduced, and it looks like more models are set to hit the market soon. I am referring to the Haier Chromebook 11 that is available at Amazon as well as the Hisense Chromebook that can be picked up at Walmart. Regardless of which model you decide to pledge your allegiance to, these new Chromebooks will be speedy, lightweight, and come with an all-day battery life with a pre-order price tag of $149 a pop.
Apart from that, there will be the ASUS Chromebook Flip that you can see above. The ASUS Chromebook Flip comes across as a premium, all-metal convertible, and needless to say, it is extremely portable as well, measuring a mere 15mm thin while tipping the scales at under two pounds. The Chromebook Flip will boast of a great keyboard as well as a touch screen that delivers immersive experiences, and will cost more due to the premium materials used – with an asking price of $249 as it hits the market later this spring. Any takers? [Press Release]
More Chromebooks Set To Hit The Market
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
There are smartphones and smart watches these days, but so too, have we come across the likes of smart walking sticks in the past. Smart walking sticks do come in handy to assist visually impaired people in their moving around, since it would help them in avoiding the numerous obstacles that are in their way. Well, such technology could have been deemed to be useful and yet annoying, since the beeping could drive anyone nuts after a while. As for a true blue smart proximity sensor, it ought to do things differently – such as predicting a chance of hitting an object instead of letting the visually impaired person know that there is a nearby object. Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Schepens Eye Research Institute have come up with a device that is worn on the body that does what was intended and mentioned.
Still in the prototype phase, this system will boast of a wide angle camera on the front which will keep track of objects in proximity, where it is capable of making predictions of potential collisions, while giving out a beep whenever there is a high chance that the wearer might strike something – and we are not talking about the lottery. The system has been tested with tunnel vision and hemianopia volunteers who had to make their way through a 41 meter-long course which has been laden with 46 objects in random areas, and the study pointed out how the device offered a reduction in collisions with objects by 37% as opposed to one not using a walking aid. [Press Release]
Smart Walking Aid Assists Those With Limited Peripheral Vision
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
What was it like to be a guest on the Oprah Winfrey Show?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
Answer by Chantelle Martineau, Hair Stylist
Being on Oprah was like entering Fort Knox yet with a slight twist of being questioned by the FBI. Oprah herself was lovely, brilliant and much shorter than I expected. She was very pleasant and engaging although the interaction was brief. The true experience was with her team that managed us. We were a group of hair dressers doing real time makeovers. This means that in 45 minutes we cut and styled the hair, did a wardrobe change and had makeup touch ups completed. All of this occurred while returning on stage for the finale. In all honesty, we had 25 minutes to do all of this. It was a big deal at the time because it was the first time it was done in real time. Imagine doing all of this with 2-3 production individuals following you and filming it so they catch all the action of the hair dropping to the floor and blow drying the end result.
If you are a hairdresser reading this, you understand the hazards of this situation. Your adrenaline is pumping to cut the hair into a precision haircut that is going to be on National TV and Oprah is going to comment on it, all the while you are using sharp tools, hot tools, and trying not to trip over the production crew’s cords. While you are cutting the hair, the makeup artist is doing touch ups and you’re now working around 3-4 people in trying to cut and style the hair. No pressure at all to try to not cut yourself or someone else.
However, all of that just wasn’t quite enough. What her team really wanted was for us to color the hair in that short time frame as well. That conversation started before we arrived to the studio. Our internal team continuously said no but they thought they would give it one last try to get us to do it once we arrived. They did this by un-noticeably separating us by giving individual tours and then asking each one of us if we could color the hair during that time frame as well. Individually we tried explaining that it was impossible. They pressed hard and we explained that the application alone would be 15 minutes minimum and then there is processing time. Of course we didn’t want to upset the crew and we each individually explained with polite reasoning and eventually they gave it up. I mean after all, who wants to upset Oprah?
The production team created a salon in a portion of the studio for us to literally run off stage, into the salon area and begin working on our models. This sounds exciting but throw on a nice pair of heels and doing a marathon may be very similar to the experience. It was beautiful and fully functioning as a salon, with the exception of all the TV cameras filming you.
The models were individuals that wrote in as to why they should be considered for the makeover. My model was a sweet 14 year old girl that had never had her hair cut. Oprah’s team had all bases covered with the makeover models: All of the models had to sign agreements that they couldn’t cry on stage. So as we cut off their pony tails live on stage, they all smiled (mostly) when they turned around to the crowd.
When we were cutting off their pony tails, I had troubles getting the pony tail cut. My darling model had enough hair for a third world country and I couldn’t get it cut off as fast as the others. My shears were shoved down onto my fingers and I felt like I was chopping down a tree to save my life. In reality, everyone else got their ponytails cut off and were holding them in the air with the exception of me. So, of course, that caused Oprah to come over to me and make light of the situation, which in turn gave me a little more air time than my fellow stylists. Which they all made sure to mention to me.
At the end of the day, the power of Oprah is impressive. The model whose hair I cut changed into a yellow cardigan sweater when returning on stage. That yellow sweater sold out across the country in one hour and retailed at $200.00. Yellow — who knew!? After filming our show, Oprah went on to film two more that day. She went from one studio to the next, filming back to back segments and was 100% fully aware of everyone’s names, stories and led the show. Simply impressive.
More questions on Quora:
Several notable men–fitness advocate Vince Adams, motivational speakers Dwayne Bryant and Vincent K. Harris, political analyst Maze Jackson, and hip hop icon/activist Che Rhymefest Smith–held court at the 21st annual Black Women’s Expo and told the captive audience what many were shocked to learn.
The relationship panel, Wives, Girlfriends and Side Chicks Decoded, facilitated by the lifestyle bloggers Six Brown Chicks, exposed several destructive relationship myths that women tend to believe.
6 Worst Relationship Myths Women Believe
I can put on my best face on our date. “Before the date, a person can (and will) spend time on your Facebook page to know exactly what you’re about,” says Vince Adams. You can’t pretend to be Miss Goody Two Shoes on your date when your posts present you in a totally different manner.
Potential lovers avoid me because I have children. “Women put themselves in that box of having kids and making it a negative,” explains Maze Jackson. “[Men don’t mind] if the children are well-behaved. What you see oftentimes is a woman so interested in keeping up with the dude that she neglects the kids. That has a negative effect on how a man sees you; it tells that man something about your character.”
My long-term relationship will lead to marriage. Read this carefully: You are wasting your time if you’ve been dating someone for two years or more and you do not have a commitment, according to Dwayne Bryant. “I will only commit to a woman that I think has the capacity to be my wife,” says Bryant. “If she is bringing greatness to the table, and is an asset, it won’t take more than a couple months (for a commitment)–a few at the most.”
I have too much baggage with my ex, and no one will want me. Your drama-filled past will not halt you from starting a future with someone else, says Che Rhymefest Smith, because most people have drama in their pasts. “My ex-wife took me to court while I was running for public office, and she worked in the office of my opponent,” Che Rhymefest Smith says. “A lot of times men have more drama because we were with women we shouldn’t have been with in the first place.”
My lover cheated on me because I am not enough. More often than not, a man’s desire to cheat has nothing to do with you. “I grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood, and didn’t think I was handsome as a child. When I went to college and realized women found me attractive, I cheated just to make up for lost time. It was revenge,” says Maze Jackson, who is now engaged. Vincent K. Harris adds: “I juggled women just to see what I could get away with; but having side chicks is expensive,” so that behavior ceased.
I must let him know upfront how valuable I am. It may be best to demonstrate your character rather than talk about it, says Che Rhymefest Smith. “When someone says, ‘I can do this, and I can do that,’ I think, well you’re okay then [by yourself]. Why don’t you just do what you say you are? People do too much talking about who they think they are and not enough DOING who they are.”
(Photo by Bobby Barnhill/KP Enterprises: l. to r. Maze Jackson, Vincent K. Harris, Dwayne Bryant, Vince Adams and Che Rhymefest Smith.)
If you are like me, there are times when I need a little more inspiration to get me moving. I turn to HuffingtonPost.com, Forbes.com or the posts I read on LinkedIn by pros like @GuyKawasaki @BernardMarr or @GretchenRubin. But there are many days when time is short and reading an entire post or blog may not fit into my schedule. During these moments of need, I turn to Google and type the words “inspirational quotes.” Hundreds of motivational quotes and inspiring images come to life on my computer screen, as I scan the results until I find the right mix of imagery and words. Here are seven of my favorite.
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible. ” — Tony Robbins
In order to hit a target you first must have a target. Over the past two years as I wrote my book, Nice Guys Finish First, dozens of people also shared with me their desire to write a book. Recently, I had a woman come up to me at the end of one of my keynotes and said, “I have wanted to write a book my entire life, I just don’t know how to get started.” When I asked her why she thought she was stuck, she told me she just didn’t know what to write about. Then she came up with every excuse as to why she hasn’t gotten started. It was obvious to me the idea of writing a book seemed interesting to this woman, but she hadn’t come up with the a plan or action item to turn this dream into reality. Set your goal, set a date, come up with an action plan to get you there and make adjustments as needed. Yes, it is that simple. Expect life to get in the way, it always does, but don’t be swayed from your goals.
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.”
— Bill Cosby
Fear of failure ranks with fear of change as the main cause for people not actually getting started on any project. As you go about your plans, take out of the equation your fear of failure and replace the mental roadblock with the words, “I’ve got this. I can do it.” FEAR is false evidence appearing real. We all do a great job of blowing up the potential pitfalls we will succumb to, when in reality, it is usually just us getting in our own way. Stay out of your way, push fear aside and take a leap of faith.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. “
— John D. Rockefeller
Want a little more wow in your life? Stop settling for good and go for great. Great will wake you up in the morning to say, “Let’s get this day going, I’ve got a mission to accomplish.” Great makes you feel like you are reaching for the stars and nothing can hold you back. Great makes others notice you, and makes them want to be a part of your team. When you strive for greatness, great things happen and life takes on a whole new meaning. You will never get to second base with one foot still on first. Get moving and don’t look back.
“Stop chasing the money and start chasing the passion. “
— Tony Hsieh
Money cannot buy happiness. If you determine what you love to do and follow your passion, the money will come. If you are passionate about something and you dedicate your life to the pursuit of your passion, it will become your purpose and your driving force. As your life’s compass moves in the direction of your passion, there will be a wake of people willing to pay you to share your story and your plan. Others will see through the veneer if you are just in it for the money. Live your life with passion and you will be rich beyond dollars and cents.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. “
— Walt Disney
We all know big talkers and we all have them in our lives as well. They talk a great game but when it’s time for the rubber to hit the road, they fail to get out of the starting gate. Don’t be a loud talker, instead, be a quiet doer. Nothing speaks louder than a person on a mission. Walt Disney was fired from the newspaper where he worked for “having no good ideas.” Years later he put in place the action items needed to turn a little mouse and some grand ideas into an empire. But you don’t have to think on the scale of Walt Disney to know that action when combined with words is much better than words alone. Get on the path today to do more than just dream, wish and talk. More doing will get the job done.
“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember, the only taste of success some people get is to take a bite out of you. “
— Zig Ziglar
There are plenty of critics that will take aim at you and your dreams. Do not let the naysayers have their way with you. Find the cheerleaders and supporters you need and focus on their message and encouragement. Those that criticize are usually the ones that have accomplished nothing and taking a shot at you makes them feel better about their lack of success. Don’t fall prey to their criticism and keep in mind the best revenge is success.
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. “
— Vidal Sassoon
You will not become successful without hard work, dedication, consistency and persistence. There are no short cuts to success. It may appear that others have achieved success quickly, but I can assure you the vast majority of the time there were years of preparation, failed attempts and false starts before the bright light of victory shined upon them. When you are passionate about your goals, hard work will become a labor of love and you will not hesitate when you are faced with a steep, uphill climb.
Please share these quotes with others. Help inspire those around you and practice random acts of NICE. Motivate and cheer on the people in your life and they will return the favor to you on days when you most need it. In the comments area below, share any quotes that are your favorites.
Check out my book on winning customers for life by winning relationships that last. Nice Guys Finish First is Amazon’s #1 New Release on Business Strategy and Competition.
One other area to get business lessons with a FUN spin is my podcast, Nice Guys on Business Podcast
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
