As time goes on, Amazon keeps bolstering the smart home capabilities of Alexa. The company announced today that it’s adding the first Alexa Skill for door locks, with the August Home Smart Lock getting the distinction of being the first smart lock that’s Alexa-enabled. Now owners of Alexa devices like the Echo or Tap can lock their front doors or … Continue reading
Google just made Docs and Sheets a bit more attractive with the launch of Android add-ons — that is, third-party tools on Android that add extra functionality to Google’s office software. Assuming you’re viewing a particular document using your Android mobile device (and that you’ve downloaded the appropriate add-on), you could do things like sign a sheet or document using … Continue reading
LG is happy to announce that, thanks to its home appliance and entertainment divisions, it’s made a record quarterly profit. But the company is less delighted to concede that its mobile division has suffered another weak quarter, ostensibly down to l…
If you use a lower-tier wireless keyboard, you may be at risk for an attack called KeySniffer that’s able to nab a good deal of personal information from you.
A year after successfully crowdfunding $25 million to build its 84 mpg closed-cabin tricycle, Elio Motors has done serious legwork to ensure that most folks can drive theirs off the lot without needing additional training. After New Jersey and Rhode…
Doom players take note: A major update for Doom is going to be released tomorrow. Bethesda and Id Software have revealed that this latest update for Doom brings two new multiplayer modes, new demons, and more. A bunch of Hell-themed content for the SnapMap level creation tool is included in this update as well. A short video has been released online which details what you can expect from this update.
To get players to try out all of the new features that are included in this update, Bethesda and id Software are offering double XP for the entire weekend starting tomorrow, July 29th.
The Free Update 2 for Doom brings a one-flag capture the flag mode called Exodus as well as a point-capture mode called Sector. Both modes can be played on Doom’s existing maps and they will also be compatible with any and all maps released in the future.
Several new features are coming to SnapMap as well. This includes 30 Hell-themed modules, the weapon wheel from the single-player campaign while SnapMap also gets the Macubus playable demon.
Doom players have a lot to look forward to next week as well. The first paid DLC for this game titled Unto the Evil is going to be released on August 5th. It adds three new multiplayer maps, a player-controlled demon, new player cosmetics, new equipment as well as a new weapon. Unto the Evil DLC costs $14.99.
Next Major Doom Update Brings New Maps, Demons And More , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The Android lock screen has improved a lot since the early days. The lock screen has become a major battleground for productivity because it is where information is seen first. But productivity always comes hand in hand with personalization because we all have specific needs and wants. We bring you a list of the best Android Lock Screen apps and tell you about their strengths and weaknesses.
It is a standout amongst the most beautiful Android lock screen applications. The app offers a wide range of themes. GO Locker is especially meant to act as a beautiful and interesting lock screen. You just cannot keep yourself from trying out the new themes available.
Interestingly, it supports Gesture unlocking as well. Well, you do not need to worry about its accuracy, it works just perfect for me even with the ugliest gesture I normally draw. In addition, it offers a music player as well. To help with the situation where you forget the password, gesture or the pattern, an emergency unlock option comes baked in. You can disable it, or enable it, which would let you quickly access the device by pressing the volume rocker button for a longer period of time.
If you fall in love with the themes offered, it lets you purchase the GO Locker VIP to unlock access to every theme, which is cheaper for heavy theme switchers.
Pros
Cons
In comparison to Go Locker, Hi Locker does not offer themes. It has got a different taste to it. It is simple, smooth and effective as well.
Considering the customizability, this one lets you set a background wallpaper and even set it to “blur” if you want. It seems more personalized when the app greets you when upon starting. Well, to be exact, it treats you with a welcome screen saying -”Hello, ____”, and asks you to fill it up with your name. Small things do matter!
The app contains in-app advertisements which might prove to be annoying. Therefore, it offers an in-app (1.7 USD) purchase to upgrade to the PRO version to get rid of them.
Pros
Cons
It is one of newer lock screen alternatives. It is fun when you use it. At first, I encountered some crashes with the app (considering it is still in beta phase). Fortunately, it was not anything serious but a temporary glitch.
It lets you interact (draw) with your lock screen and share them with your connected friends using the same app. Yes, you need to ask your friends to install it in order to have fun with it.
However, it is not a powerful alternative. Still, worth a shot to have fun!
Pros
Cons
Surprisingly, developed by Microsoft, Next Lock Screen is a quite impressive lock screen app. Unquestionably, it offers a pretty good user interface. And, I have been a beta tester for this app from a long time and it keeps improving! You can set the lock screen timeout duration and control the status bar mode as well. You get the ability to control music players right from the lock screen (Spotify, audible & pandora supported).
The recent smart quick action feature has been inspired by one its launcher applications (Arrow Launcher). It is helpful while it lets us become more productive by accessing quickly what we use the most. And, Bing wallpaper integration seems good enough as well. It does bring in support for fingerprint lock.
Pros
Cons
It is a direct alternative to Next Lock screen (developed by Microsoft!). Picturesque utilizes Bing wallpapers to display wallpapers by default. But, you can set a custom background wallpaper as well.
It offers almost the same user interface as Next Lock Screen. However, in my experience, it felt faster.
The app integrates Bing Search as a widget on the lock screen. If you swipe up, you will be able to unlock the device and if you want to check out live cricket scores or the recent news buzz, simply swipe left. It comes baked in with various lock screen widgets which prove to be handy. Also, if you pull down to find the toggle center right on the lock screen, you would not get the default view, but it looks cool enough and is faster. For your convenience, it provides an option to enable a “One-click” camera start on your lock screen.
Pros
Cons
It is one of the fascinating lock screen alternatives available for Android. The user interface offered here is just fabulous!
It gives an experience comparable to Zen UI. It comes with various unique features which include smart screen, privacy protection, and control panel.
When the device is taken out of the pocket, the smart screen feature turns on the screen when it detects unread notifications. If there are no unread notifications, it would not turn the screen ON automatically. If you are having trouble with reaching the top of your screen to pull down the toggle menu, you would be needing this lockscreen app. It is because the app provides an additional control center which can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the lock screen.
Pros
Cons
An impressive lock screen app that brings the taste of “Alway-On Display”. It is not the exact same thing, but it presents a similar kind of look.
If you are one the admirer of Moto’s smart wake up feature, you would be the one to try it out first. It is primarily meant to display notifications in a simpler manner yet keeping up with an attractive interface. However, it has introduced support to act as a standalone lock screen but tagged as a beta feature.
Pros
Cons
One of the lock screen alternatives which is specially built for managing notifications. It offers a control panel with quick setting toggle buttons. It contains most of the basic features as you would require. Similar to the others, it offers an in-app purchase to get rid of the advertisements. Apart from the over-sized font used, the app does a good job.
Pros
Cons
It offers quite a unique user experience. It is a clock-based lock screen with nothing else to customize. Simply, it presents various clock styles which you would prefer.
Pros
Cons
It is one of my personal favorites. The app provides unique and attractive lock screen designs. Creative lockscreen themes do attract a lot of users. A well-polished user interface with packed functionalities.
Pros
Cons
One of the most loved lock screen alternatives. It comes baked in with a different approach – Do It Yourself. You get powerful customization features by which you can set the preferred design. It offers a VIP in-app purchase which lets you enable the ability to turn off the weather/news side button on the lock screen. It is nice, looks good and feature-rich as well.
Pros
Cons
Missing Android Jelly Bean? Well, I do as well, it was very good back then but not great compared to the latest Android iterations.
It is simply a lock screen replacement which brings in the style of Android Jelly Bean. Not much features offered, still, it is good enough if you are having a low-end device.
Pros
Cons
A lock screen app with 5 preset lock profiles – Default, Music, Location, Time, and Wi-Fi. According to the selected profile, it would offer personalized widgets on-screen. Various unlock styles available for your convenience as well, which includes – Fingerprint lock and gesture unlock mode. It offers a pro version to get rid of in-app advertisements.
Pros
Cons
If you ever wish to try out the traditional iOS lock screen style, this might be for you. A simple lock screen app with no fancy features. Simply, slide to unlock.
Pros
Cons
Offering a similar kind of user experience as Next Lock Screen, it empowers the user with the ability to open notifications in one tap.
You can also categorize applications by priority. It lets you filter notifications from the applications which you have selected. Similarly, you can deselect those you want to stay hidden. In order to get rid of in-app advertisements, you will have to pay around 3 USD. However, for now, it gives you an option to use it for a week and then you can upgrade it for just 0.99 USD. If you like it, you should consider using it for a week and upgrade it to the pro version!
Pros
Cons
Yet another unique user experience. Not quite creative, but it uses the classic UI design concepts to present it as a productive lock screen. It comes baked in with quick actions at the right sidebar. It will be a good fit for the low-end devices.
Pros
Cons
A simpler lock screen alternative for Android. In addition, it contains in-app advertisements but does not offer an in-app purchase to get rid of them. It provides an option to enabled Parallax 3D effect. If it works as expected on your device, it would make your lock screen look cooler.
Pros
Cons
An impressive lock screen app developed by Samsung for Galaxy Note 5, S7 & S7 Edge. Yeah, it is a device-specific lock screen app but if you are equipped with one, it is definitely worth a shot.
Pros
Cons
KK locker comes baked in with various features along with multiple theme support. It is fast, simple and offers a basic user interface. Of course, only if you prefer a basic design for your lock screen with acceptable features, this should be your choice.
Pros
Cons
In order to use it, you should be having Zero launcher installed. It is a super-light lock screen app for Android. If you have the required launcher installed, you can enjoy using it. It is compact and fast.
Pros
Cons
Which one of the mentioned lock screen app seems the best to you? Did we miss one of your favorite lock screen app that deserves to be on the list? Let us know your thoughts through the user comments section below.
Best Lock Screen Alternatives For Android , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Much of the populace is wishing there was a happy medium between living off the land and the grid, but in a way where you’d still be able to get a mocha and scroll through Facebook at leisure. While we have gotten accustomed to certain luxuries, there are ways to bridge gaps between the modern world and an Eco-friendly one. We’ve seen tons of gadgets that are starting to do this more and more, but the only ones we really care about involve coffee.
The UniTerra Nomad Hand-Crank Espresso Machine is going to make sure you can get an espresso with perfect crema whether you have an outlet to plug into or not. This is a manual contraption that you add your grounds to, tamp, pour in boiling water, and seesaw the lever while watching the pressure build on the gauge. This action can build 8-10 bars of brewing pressure, and since you can watch the gauge, adjusting your speed will let you completely control the brewing process.
To make sure that your espresso isn’t just black caffeinated liquid in a cup, it has a true crema valve that will make up for the coffee ground and tamping variations. Coming in either cobalt blue or luminescent green, you’ll be looking at paying out $295. The best part is that this will be useful whether you’re at home, the office, in an RV, or out camping in the woods. While you’ll still have to get access to boiling water, that’s not impossible at any of those locations.
Available for purchase on Amazon
[ The Nomad Hand-Crank Espresso Machine – when you only want to get away from a little bit of it all copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
This is the first election that I won’t be voting FOR a candidate. I will, by default, vote defensively for the most innocuous one. Frightfully, it isn’t about who will be the best choice anymore, it’s who will inflict the least amount of damage to our country. The bar has plummeted so low that common sense and level-headedness is now the number one priority.
The game has changed. For example, GOP nominee Donald Trump has run his campaign boasting he can successfully “make America great again” because he is an “intuitive person” and he “has a very good brain.” Apparently, instinctive reactions and innate hunches have overtaken experience and knowledge. We don’t require our candidates to have at least some traditional presidential credentials anymore. Has the highest political office in the world been cheapened and debased so much that we don’t care?
Anything is possible. Maybe we don’t need time-tested experience as a job requirement in our Commander in Chief? But the question is: Can Donald Trump’s “off the cuff” intuition and business talent run our country efficaciously? Can he be trusted not only because he’s a compulsive liar but mainly because he has zero experience?
In a recent TIME magazine article, writer Jon Meacham discusses Trump’s declaration that he would take talent over experience in any given endeavor: “I’ve always rated experience far less than capability.” Trump said, “I think my ideas are really good.”
But simply thinking you have “good ideas” doesn’t translate into intelligibility. Sounds like a shaky, lets-play-it-by-ear plan that would be fun if you were, say, taking a spontaneous summer camping trip with your family. Thinking you can run the most powerful nation in the world because you are naturally intuitive and have “good ideas” sounds like pre-presidential illiteracy to me.
Meacham also says that Trump’s “tendency to wing it–to act on his gut–effectively means that he’s working off what might be called ‘political hearsay.’ All presidents have to know enough to assess the validity of the inevitable advice that swirls through the Oval Office.”
Call me madcap but I would speculate that Trump would tussle poorly with that. How can Trump assess the validity of anything he knows nothing about and doesn’t care to know about? He may be a master provocateur, but he’s also a con-man–and not a very good one at that.
Also, think about this: Much of politics is diplomacy. It’s still playing–to some degree –the conventional game of patience, poise and good manners. Meacham says that “Presidents are custodians of a social and political order that requires sophistication, balance and a fluency in the basic vocabulary of government and of statecraft. However Trump is a creature of the moment, of improvisation, of polarity.”
Spoiler alert: Balance, poise, sophistication and most importantly, good manners are not words that come to mind when we think of Mr. Trump. Eh, no.
But, inexplicably, his misguided followers are not bothered by this lack of composure, balance and articulacy in the basic language of government. To them, Trump’s celebrity status and his infectious combative charisma mask his sociopathy and his emotional instability. Hearing Trump assert, “I am a very stable person. I am so stable you wouldn’t believe it,” is enough for them. Wow.
However, for once I agree with Trump. I myself wouldn’t believe it either…and I don’t believe it now.
Accordingly, we come back to the less harmless Hillary Clinton. Yes, she lacks warmth, charisma and likability. Like Donald Trump she has lied, deceived and flip-flopped to further her political platform on many issues, so her credibility according to many Americans is also down the toilet. Many cannot trust her too. Granted and noted.
So, DON’T VOTE for HILLARY CLINTON!
That’s right. Just DON’T!
However:
Vote to keep a narcissistic, loose cannon, presidential illiterate from getting to the White House.
Vote against a nominee who plans on “winging” the ultimate responsibility as Commander in Chief for the next four years.
Vote against a candidate who’s narrow-minded campaign focuses only on law and order, immigration and trade.
Vote to preserve decades of human rights progress this country has achieved.
Vote for equality and fairness for all Americans.
Vote for preserving healthy diplomatic relationships with our allies and keeping a sane and sober influence in the global community.
Vote against fascism, racism, bigotry, misogyny, discrimination, xenophobia, etc.
It’s NOT about Hillary the candidate anymore. That’s over.
We have lost the ability to be proud and hopeful about our next Commander in Chief. Since we have stooped so low in terms of character quality in our candidates this election year and because, as mentioned above, the game has changed and now it’s more about doing the right thing for our future generations, by default, Clinton is the less injurious choice.
— 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.
I just knew I could become pregnant by kissing because of a book I stumbled upon in the library in the 8th grade in the early 70s. After the kiss, the author said to take either a cold bath/cold shower or a stork would deliver an already diapered baby to your front door.
Even some of the older women in the neighborhood would scare you by telling you that boys will give you “cooties” and that “fast” or “fresh” girls can become pregnant by kissing. So, who knew kissing was such a big responsibility?
I used to jump-rope to that fun and silly American k-i-s-s-i-n-g rhyme. As a child, I never paid any attention to the meaning behind the words…
(Girl’s name) and (boy’s name) sitting in the tree
K-i-s-s-i-n-g! (spell it out)
First, comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes baby in the baby carriage
I was a small town girl, aged 14, and he was a city boy, aged 16. We met when he was visiting his aunt and we talked a few times at sporting events and over the phone. Frankly, I was over the moon because up until that time, I had never been told I was cute–by a boy. No matter what your friends and family may have told you; as a teenager, it does not count until a boy tells you are a cutie patootie!
My father made it very clear that I could not date or have company until I was 18–UGH! So, I knew I was breaking an “I Shall Not Kiss” Commandment 4 years early when I heard a familiar voice say…
“Can I kiss you?”
I said, “Okay, we can kiss just as long as I don’t get pregnant” ― and he gave me the strangest look… My school let out at 3:00, and I had until 3:15 to walk home in time to answer a ringing phone from my mom.
So, I puckered up respectfully for my first kiss. I closed my eyes and I was waiting for the closed-mouth, pressed-lip, and mutual-button tap-tap kiss. But, I didn’t feel his lips. I opened my eyes. He was laughing, and what this city boy told me next I had never heard before.
He said that I had been watching too much TV.
“That’s not how you kiss in real life.”
Really?
Well, I said, I have seen my mom and dad, husband and wife, Lucy McGillicuddy and Ricky Ricardo, and even Hollywood movie stars kiss this way.
With a fake French accent, he said, “It is called the French Kiss.”
I was a naïve impressionable teen. I was smitten. I thought all city boys were a little groovier and hip than the boys in my small town of Havre de Grace.
So, I followed his instructions, ran home, and answered the phone on the third or sixth ring. Then I called my best friend Ingrid to tell her there was a new kiss all the way from France and that I liked it–that I would give her all details on the way to school the next day.
Well, apparently, she had come across the same book in the library and yelled into the phone, “Don’t forget to take a cold bath!” I told her that I had the water running.
I did something highly suspicious that night that should have raised eyebrows ― I buried myself in homework just in case my parents could tell I had been kissed.
So, for the next few days, I had looked up at the sky so much that I had a crick in my neck from seeing if an oversized bird with a long, long yellow beak was lurking around in my neighborhood to make a baby drop!
Then I knew it was not true after my parents signed the permission slip for the science teacher to show our class the infamous 8th-grade film on the reproductive system (the Birds and the Bees). Most of us giggled and blushed throughout the whole film. I realized then that k-i-s-s-i-n-g was and is quite pleasurable and pregnancy-free.
So, merci beaucoup to France!
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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.
