Hasta La Gadget!

Now here is a smartphone that many of us might want to sit up and pay attention to. It will not be a famous model from a well known manufacturer in the vein of Samsung and Apple, but you can bet your bottom dollar that the Cat S60 is one tough cookie – far tougher than what Samsung, Apple, Lenovo, HTC, Motorola and the ilk have thrown into the market so far. After all, the new new flagship smartphone known as the Cat S60 happens to also be the world’s first smartphone to come with an integrated thermal camera.

Sporting an embedded Lepton Thermal Microcamera Module that is powered by FLIR, this Cat S60 is able to visualize heat which remains invisible to the naked eye, as it highlights temperature contrasts, and can be accessed on the S60 thanks to the specially designed MyFLIR thermal camera Android app. Among the key specifications of this handset include the ability to capture still thermal images, video, panoramas, and time lapses, have images and videos enhanced with FLIR’s multi-spectral dynamic imaging technology (MSX), being able to swipe between thermal and the corresponding visual spectrum saved images, can apply up to three movable spot meters and a fixed region of interest to read temperature data directly off the live image feed, or from saved images, among others.

In terms of its hardware capability, the Cat S60 is really, really impressive. For instance, it is waterproof to depths of up to 5 meters for an hour, is drop proof to 1.8m on to concrete, MIL Spec 810G, dustproof, thanks to a strengthened die cast frame, has a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 display that is super bright at 540 nits, an optimized 3,800mAh battery, a 13MP shooter with dual flash that works underwater, letting you take selfies with its 5MP front-facing shooter as well, 4G LTE support, a Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor, 32GB of internal memory and 3GB of RAM, all running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow right out of the box.

Press Release
[ CAT S60 is first handset with thermal imaging capabiliy copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Yes, there really is an App for that — for everything — and new ones come to market every day. But what’s out there that is truly useful for midlifers? Here are some that we swear we’d be lost without:

1. A Mapping app.

Yes, we would literally be lost without a mapping app. While we personally have some lingering trust issues with certain popular directional apps stemming from their early days of misleading us, there has been notable improvement in the accuracy over the past few years. A few apps, including Google Maps, offer cycling directions and integrate bike-only routes into their maps. Some apps offer walking navigation and instructions about how to get places using mass transit. PC Magazine offers this recent list of its top recommended mapping apps. So pick your poison: Google Maps, Mapquest and Apple Maps are the biggies.

So yes, it may be time to part ways with your Thomas Guide and the old AAA TripTik, which interestingly enough is still requested 1.5 million times a year. Think of the trees — and don’t be like this guy.

2. A real-time traffic app.

No more turning on the car radio “on the 5s” hoping that it will tell you what’s causing the freeway backup and more importantly, how long it will take you to get to your destination. Now there’s an app for that. WAZE has been a game-changer for many drivers. We know some Angelenos who won’t leave home without checking their route on WAZE first. 

Don’t be like this guy either.

3. A fitness tracking app.

There are times when it seems that fitness tracking apps are technology’s way of shaming you. There are apps that record and analyze what you eat, measure your steps, track your sleep and your exercise. This is all mildly interesting information and perhaps even motivational for some. What fitness apps don’t do for a lot of people is get them to knock off the potato chips, keep track of their alcohol consumption (Has anyone ever entered their fourth glass of wine into their app? Didn’t think so.), or tell them when they’ve just spent 18 of the last 24 hours in front of a screen. Now, those would be some cool features. In the meantime, there’s MyFitnessPal.

Fitness apps often have wearable devices that they connect to — a watch, a blood pressure monitor, a digital scale. While many of the apps are free, the devices are not. There is a plethora of apps out there, and remember: Don’t be like this guy.

4. An app to remind you of stuff.

From grocery lists to remembering that the plumber is coming Thursday, there are plenty of apps in the “reminder space.” They send a text message or sound an alarm as a reminder. Yes, of course you do have to remember to set them in the first place; nothing is fool-proof, especially when we are the fools. Try Any.do ranks high in the personal organization space by PC Magazine. Carrot To-Do may be nobody’s favorite but it quite accurately bills itself as “the to-do list with a personality.” Don’t get the Carrot lady mad, that’s all we’re going to say.

5. An app to diagnose what ails you.

The Internet has given us all medical degrees. While WebMD is a perennial favorite, you are by no means limited to just that one when you play doctor. You can use Omnio to look up different medications, symptoms or keep up with the latest medical news for your diseases. You also can plug in your symptoms and the app will provide options of what you might have — now how great is that feature, Marcus Welby, MD.? If you know what’s bothering you but don’t know what to buy at the drug store to take care of it, browse by pill name or ID it using what it looks like. This is a good app to avoid if you tend to be a hypochondriac, just sayin’.

And please, don’t be like this.

6. An app to keep your brain sharp and impress your friends.

Everyone knows that doing puzzles is good for your brain. Some of the most-addicting apps are game apps, so you’re in luck! Personally, we spend endless hours playing Merged! and Words with Friends, the world’s most-popular word game. Remember, you are doing this for brain health, so it’s a good thing. Just an aside on most game apps: There are also apps for game app cheating. Don’t be this guy.

7. An app to help you pick out watermelons.

Somewhere, some place, there is research being done at this very minute into the No. 1 reason post-50 couples fight every July. It is “watermelon selection.” Tapping, knocking, shaking, scratching the skin with your fingernail, checking if the stripes at the end match — none of it ever actually works. So along comes PickAMelon, which claims to be the most sophisticated watermelon ripeness detector available in the app store. You place the microphone of your phone on the watermelon and tap on it until all three test lights are glowing and then wait for the results. Note: This is an entertainment app and if it doesn’t work, don’t blame us or the PickAMelon folks. And please, don’t be this guy.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

The signs of the zodiac have existed for hundreds of thousands of years. They are ancient signs that people have looked to for guidance. Today, thousands of people inspect their horoscopes each day to find out what they are going to come up against in the world. Studies say 33% of Americans believe in astrology.

The zodiac signs consist of 12 astrological signs, each based on a single month of the year. There are those who dismiss astrology as false, but the truth is that the signs of the zodiac do have some value to them.

The Age and the Planets

Have you ever wondered why the zodiac has never been dismissed as pseudo-science?

There’s a reason for this and it’s because there’s no way to actually dismiss them entirely. Humans have been using the zodiac for literally thousands of years. Through inspecting the alignment of the planets, masters of astrology have managed to comprehend certain truths of the world.

It works in the same way as the movements of the moon control the tides of the oceans of the world. For example, Mars is the planet of passion. And Jupiter is the lucky star.

Anecdotal Evidence

Another reason why astrology has never been fully dismissed is because of the anecdotal evidence available. People are reporting time and time again that what they read in their horoscopes comes true. And it happens too often to dismiss it. It’s no different from religion, where miracles happen across the world every so often.

If anything, astrology is more accurate because these anecdotes pop up far more often.

But What About the Newspaper Horoscopes?

Anyone can create a horoscope. As long as you know how the language works, you can make up any horoscope you like. And that’s why astrology has such a bad reputation. The horoscopes you see in the newspaper are not true to the zodiac because a reporter is sitting in a room writing anything that comes to mind.

If you read the same horoscope for a year and compare, you will see that in some cases they have copied and pasted a horoscope from a previous day. This is not astrology and this is not demonstrating a firm understanding of the zodiac.

To take the zodiac seriously, you need to visit an expert. They will go far deeper, such as using tarot cards. Use only the professionals within the field of astrology. If someone doesn’t have the credentials to back up what they are saying, pay no attention to them. The problem you have is that the vast majority of horoscopes are not compiled by professionals.

It’s what stops any scientific studies from being conducted on the field as a whole. They are giving it a bad name.

Tapping into Inner Meaning

The true value of astrology is its ability to tap into the part of our minds that naturally gravitates towards things like divination and the occult. By tapping into this inner meaning, it forces the mind to think in a different way. And this alone can generate some meaningful insights.

Some people say that astrology is about helping you to understand what you already know. It’s just a matter of forcing it from deep inside you. It’s no coincidence that a variety of successful people have used astrology to further their personal lives and careers.

It’s not compatible with the scientific method. If anything, it’s the polar opposite of the scientific method, and that’s why some people are willing to dismiss it as nonsense immediately. It’s an example of a closed mind. Open your mind and you can unveil hidden insights that you’d previously never known about.

How Closely Should You Follow the Zodiac?

Understand that astrology does have its limits, like any science. You shouldn’t look at the signs of the zodiac as a step-by-step guide for how to approach your life. If you do this, you are never going to take any initiative. It’s the same principle as religion. Never take your religious text literally. Use it as a guide in which to live your life.

Take into account what your horoscope says, but go further than that. Use it to further your knowledge of life in general. That’s how you can grow through using astrology.

Conclusion

The signs of the zodiac do have some value to them. Choose the right astrology expert and you can take advantage of a horoscope that guides you through life and helps you to find new meaning in things.

What is your star sign?

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

“Everyone can dream big,” says Karolyn Evans, Senior Aerospace Engineer at Sierra Nevada, “but only those with hope will actually achieve it.” Her education and career path have shown her that hoping means more than wishing; having hope means remembering that “there is always another way,” and utilizing every resource, in the face of setbacks. Karolyn’s personal and professional experience will be a wonderful contribution to the GlobalMindED Conference, June 9-10 in Denver, where she will participate in a panel discussion on issues in STEM.

Karolyn’s mother and father emphasized the value of hard work and integrity to their six children. Finances prevented both parents from attending college, but they gained valuable experience–her father took on an apprenticeship in technology while still in high school, and her mother joined the Peace Corps and worked in the nursing field in Malaysia–and later took on “odd jobs … to make sure the family was financially stable.” As they encouraged Karolyn and her siblings to pursue college, they also recognized that financial support would have to come from outside sources, so Karolyn knew early on that she would be in charge of obtaining her education.

Karolyn is proud of her family, and particularly proud of “how they handle diversity”; those lessons became especially important when she was not admitted to her first choice of colleges, the Air Force Academy. “My mother will tell you that I did not take the rejection well and it is still a ‘thorn in my side,'” she admits, but she now recognizes that she found an equally rewarding path (particularly since she works with all branches of the military in her current position). With her family’s support, she accepted a full-ride scholarship offer to attend the nearby junior college. After earning her associate’s degree, she joined the Air Force ROTC and patched together scholarships to earn her bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: one “for being 5 foot 9 inches, another one for having blonde hair, another one for wearing glasses, and another one for being a woman going into engineering.” She began working at Lockheed Martin, which helped pay for her Master’s degree at the University of Denver.

Several things, some close to home and some on the global stage, helped Karolyn make up her mind early on to become an engineer. Witnessing the first launch of the space shuttle Columbia and Dr. Sally Ride’s story provided examples of the feats engineers could achieve. She also had the support of her Chemistry, Aviation and Physics teacher at Yorkville High School. Mr. Anderson, she says, encouraged her to set her sights high and helped her determine that Aerospace (rather than Mechanical) Engineering would be the best fit. He also helped clarify her goals: “I can still hear his voice telling my parents that they had an engineer on their hands, not a teacher.” She feels lucky to have lived in a small town”–Oswego, IL had a population of about 1,500 when Karolyn lived there–where teachers got to know their students well. The combination of a high-profile role model, her parents’ support of her dreams, and immediate mentors thus provided Karolyn with the motivation and insight to become a pioneer in her family and in the STEM field.

Karolyn’s passion for science and engineering has grown. “What I love about my job is knowing that I am part of a team that has sent satellites around the Earth to help predict weather and see the stars in far-away galaxies, missions to Mars (both in orbit and on the surface), missions to Jupiter and Venus, the first mission to Pluto, and the first mission to land on an asteroid,” she says. Co-workers, she adds, become like family because of the hard work everyone puts in and the deep sense of accomplishment. She is also proud of the effect her work has on society: “Ninety percent of my career is helping people understand the world around them and protecting them.” Most of all, she is proud on a personal level of “graduating both high school and college, then seeing my mother, older sister and two brothers graduating from college after me. My mother once said that I was the reason she went back to get her degree.”

For students who come from a similar background, and for those who have ever been told “you can’t do this” or dealt with not being accepted to a dream school, Karolyn offers the wise advice to hold onto the ambitions that made them apply in the first place. She also offers the practical reminder that plenty of scholarships and other financial support can come from unexpected places; with some digging, higher education costs become much less burdensome.

GlobalMindED thanks Karolyn for sharing her story, and looks forward to the insights she will offer students and fellow professionals at this year’s conference, where the sky’s the limit.

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