Tag Archive for: How To Kill An Hour

Houseparty App

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Houseparty the biggest app right now during lockdown. Available on Android, iOS, iPad OS and macOS, the face to face social network focuses on video chats, quizzes and games to bring people together. Which is perfect when we can’t be together physically.

Houseparty has been around since 2016, but has surged in popularity during being stuck at home for long periods of time.

Houseparty has been called a more informal version of Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams and Zoom. As Houseparty has quizzes and games in it too. So it’s more than just talking in front of a camera.

How to

Simply enter your name, email address and mobile number and choose a unique username!

Next link up your contacts, either your phone book or link up your Facebook.

Houseparty will then recognise them and add them allowing you to dive into chats instantly.

On the mains creen you’ll see your face in the selfie screen. The plus icon in the top right hand side of the screen will allow you to add in contacts and group people together for houseparty group calls!

Below that there’s a dice icon, which allows you to start some games, including pictionary game Quick Draw and Heads Up.

Select a game and then add friends to play with you.

To start/join a game swipe up! You’ll be able to see your friends recently spoken to and join House Parties which are basically group chats (max of 8 people). Even join ones that are on-going!

Grab a mate’s attention by hitting the hand wave icon next to their name and send them a notification. Tap the phone icon to give them a call!

Swipe right to go to the inbox to send a private video message when they are not around. You are also able to switch between cameras by using the toggle and a padlock icon to lock the chat to prevent people joining and have a private conversation.

To exit a call, just hit the cross icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.

Download Houseparty: iOS / Google

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Amazon Tracking Employees

Amazon shipping only essential products in Italy and France

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Amazon has temporarily stopped taking orders on non essential products on it’s Italian and French sites. This in an effort to stop the spread and contain the novel coronavirus.

“As customers use e-commerce to support their social distancing efforts, we too have implemented social distancing guidance within our fulfillment centers to keep our employees safe and healthy,” An email from an Amazon spokesperson to The Verge 

While customers can still order many of the products from 3rd party sellers who are able to shop directly to customers. Essential products include food and hygiene items. Amazon have said that the measure will allow “fulfillment center associates to focus on receiving and shipping the products customers need most at this time.”

Furthermore a notice on Amazon read:

“We are prioritizing the most requested products and some items may be temporarily unavailable. We appreciate your understanding at this time when we prioritize the products that customers need most. All orders already confirmed will be delivered regularly.”

While 5 workers have tested positive at Amazon Warehouses in Europe for coronavirus Bloomberg reported. Workers at an Amazon Warehouse in Italy went on strike on March 17th to protest inadequate action by the company to protect them.

Italy has become one of the hardest areas hit by COVID-19. As more than 53K people infected and 48K dead according to the New York Times. With Saturday alone, reporting 793 new deaths in one day, reported by the Times.

(The Verge)

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Toilet Paper Calculator

How long will your toilet paper last?

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There’s a toilet paper calculator to help you know how long you’ve got left based on the amount of rolls you have and the number of toilet visits you take per day. It’s called How Much Toilet Paper?! So helping during the time where people panic buy outrageous amounts of toilet paper.

We love talking about toilet trips here at How To Kill An Hour. We delved deep into how various different celebs wiped their back side. So now it’s time to find out how long that paper will last!

Staying calm and rational means that there’ll be plenty for everyone. The website starts with an average of 10 rolls left in the house with 3 visits per day. This will last you 53 days. Which is more than enough to last for a while.

For those wanting to delve down deeper into the more advanced settings. Which includes number of sheets per roll and the average number of wipes per visit.

(Metro)

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Twitter Fake Tweets Removed!

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Twitter are cracking down on fake tweets during the coronavirus outbreak. Tweets with promote fake treatments or deny expert guidance will be marked as harmful. Then removed. Content like this could place people at a high risk and contravene it’s safety rules

Furthermore this could include claims that specific groups are more susceptible of contracting COVID-19. While posting unverified claims that incite people to action and cause widespread panic. Plus posting about harmful or non harmful treatments which are ineffective.

‘We will enforce this in close coordination with trusted partners, including public health authorities and governments, and continue to use and consult with information from those sources when reviewing content.’ Twitter post on it’s website

This follows announcements from various video social media sites, such as Facebook, Google, LinkedIN and Reddit, who are committed to work together. Alongside governments in response to the pandemic.

Social Media

In a joint statement, they said they’d work to help people stay connected during the isolation. Furthermore fighting any misinformation and fraud linked to the outbreak.

‘We are working closely together on Covid-19 response efforts,’ the statement said. ‘We’re helping millions of people stay connected while also jointly combating fraud and misinformation about the virus, elevating authoritative content on our platforms, and sharing critical updates in co-ordination with government healthcare agencies around the world.’

Social media sites and search engines have placed official guidance on their sites. From the NHS and World Health Organisation at the top of search results. Other platforms are also removing any misinformation linked to coronavirus which is either flagged or spotted by them.

Other platforms have also pledged to work quickly to remove any misinformation. Which is linked to the virus which is flagged to or spotted by them .

(Metro)

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Facebook

Facebook / Instagram lower video quality in EU!

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Following YouTube and Netflix’s decisoin to lower video quality to help European networks deal with demand, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook and Instagram will also temporarily reduce video bitrates in Europe. Therefore helping to handle “bandwidth constraints” and keep people in touch.

The sheer audience sizes of Facebook and Instagram could cause additional strain of users are more active than usual. Facebook had 288M daily users in Europe as of Summer 2019. With many users turning to video chat to keep in touch with people they’d otherwise meet in person.

With the news of reducing video bitrates it might help people work from home and otherwise get the internet services they expect.

“To help alleviate any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in Europe. We are committed to working with our partners to manage any bandwidth constraints during this period of heavy demand, while also ensuring people are able to remain connected using Facebook apps and services during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

(Engadget)

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YouTube cuts videos to lower quality during Coronavirus

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YouTube are following in the footsteps of Netflix and will begin capping its data flow during the coronavirus pandemic. YouTube will being limiting all European streams to standard definition to manage the load on it’s network.

This is following advice from the EU Internal Market Commisson. Which was that everyone should limit their streams to standard definition. As it will minimie the network congestion as millions of people will be going online to kill time in isolation.

Thierry Breton from the commission spoke to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki to ensure the measures are put in place.

‘We are making a commitment to temporarily switch all traffic in the EU to standard definition by default.’

‘People are coming to YouTube to find authoritative news, learning content and make connections during these uncertain times,’ a spokeswoman for the video platform said.

‘While we have seen only a few usage peaks, we have measures in place to automatically adjust our system to use less network capacity.

‘We are in ongoing conversations with the regulators (including Ofcom), governments and network operators all over Europe, and are making a commitment to temporarily default all traffic in the UK and the EU to standard definition.

‘We will continue our work to minimise stress on the system, while also delivering a good user experience.’  YouTube Spokesperson

The video streaming service said that there has little change in the peaks for usage. Furthermore seeing changes mostly in usage patterns, with usage expanding across longer hours.

The switch to standard definition should free up traffic on European networks considerably. While Netflix said that they would see a 25% reduction of it’s traffic on Europe’s networks.

Mobile Networks

While mobile networks including O2, EE, Vodafone and Three all began to struggle. As people are starting to work from home. With many customers complaining online that they were unable to make calls. With some claiming business had already began to slow down dramatically.

‘Today the industry experienced an issue that meant some calls between different networks were unable to connect. Specifically, O2, Vodafone and Three were unable to connect to EE and EE customers were unable to connect to O2, Vodafone and Three.

‘At a time when the country needs connectivity most, it is important we work together rather than pointing fingers before facts have been determined.

‘As this was a problem for a multiple networks, there is a National Emergency Alert for Telecommunications and Ofcom call at 2:30pm this afternoon to determine the route of the issue to ensure this doesn’t happen again.’ O2 spokesperson told Metro

Furthermore YouTube also confirmed it was introducing a new area on its homepage. Which is dedicated to news about Covid-19 from trustworthy sources.

(Metro)

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Airpods Pro vs Powerbeats Pro

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James Haskell took the two best wireless headphones for a spin to decide which is the best! It’s time for Airpods Pro vs Powerbeats Pro!

Airpods Pro

Comfort

Firstly we have to give not to Apple’s take on comfort. In-Ear headphones which don’t fit right, will always sound bad! Each pair of Airpods Pro come with three different sizes of soft, flexible silicone tips. So they can form an exceptional fit to help aid active noise cancellation. Allowing you to not even be aware that you are wearing any headphones! This is emphasised by vents which will equalise the pressure, helping you feel as though there’s nothing there!

The tips are internally taped too, so they are designed to conform to your ear shape. Therefore not only making them fit better but making them more secure!

Noise Cancellation

The AirPods pro are SUPER smart too as they’ll continuously adapt to the geometry of your ear and the ear tips. Blocking out external sound to focus on the music, this is called Adaptive Noise Cancellation.

How does it do this?

Well, an out an outward-facing microphone detects any external sound. Then the headphones themselves will  counter it with equal anti-noise. Therefore cancelling the external sound even before you hear it. Furthermore an inward-facing microphone also listens to the inside of your ear for any unwanted sound. This is further eliminated with anti-noise. All of this is continuously adjusted at 200 times per second, giving you truly immersive sound.

Noise Transparency

AirPods pro have something called Transparency Mode allowing you to hear what’s happening around you. Simply press and hold the force sensor on the stem to jump between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. Transparency Mode let’s the outside sound in, allowing you to talk to people nearby or hear the traffic around you.

Audio

Adaptive EQ is also another smart feature. This will automatically tune music to the shape of your ear. Giving you a rich consistent listening experience.

Love Bass? Well you’re in luck. Strong, powerful base is delivered in a custom-built high-excursion, low-distortion speaker driver. As discussed earlier the inward-facing microphone will help fine tune the audio by adjusting the mid and low frequencies. The amplifier within the in-ear headphones will remove the background noise and the H1 chip controls listening levels. The super-efficient high dynamic range amplifier produces amazing sound which is super clear. Additionally helping to also extend battery life.

H1

The H1 also powers Siri, give low audio processing latency and helps with the real time noise cancellation via 10 audio cores. The way that the AirPods Pro are designed with the placement of each component based on the form of the human ear. Helps maximise comfort, fit and stability.

The force sensor not only helps to control music and calls easily it helps to switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode.

The H1 also allows the in-ear headphones to connect as if by magic to an iPhone and Apple Watch. Simply open up the charging case or hold them near to your device and wait for them to appear on screen. Then click connect! The charging case is also wirelessly chargeable via QI enabled chargers.

Like to gym? No problem the Airpods Pro are sweat and water resistant! They also feature an expanded mesh microphone port to help improve call clarity in windy conditions!

Not to forget Siri either! Hey Siri! Will allow you to control, music, calls, volume and directions, all without lifting a finger! Even share a song, podcast or an audio stream between two sets of Airpods with Audio sharing on iOS 13!

Powerbeats Pro

The new Beats earphones Powerbeats Pro are built specifically for those who love to workout and are always active. They have zero wires for a start so there’s no holding you back!  Powerbeats Pro delivers powerful, balanced sound with dynamic range and noise isolation for a very cool and enjoyable listen.

They are wireless (obviously!) but also have a really strong connection to your device, with fewer dropouts included! You are going to get sweaty using these right? Well they have a reinforced design for sweat and water resistance! Not only that the adjustable, secure fit ear hooks keep them locked in to your ears. So, you can keep locked into the music.

While you get a total of 9 hours of listening time the charging case will give you an additional 24hrs of playback! If you need a charge, Fast Fuel for 5mins gives you an additional 1.5hrs of playback! Hands Free controls via “Hey Siri” on iOS devices and  and voice capability with a push of the “b” button on a variety of compatible devices!

There’s also volume and track controls on each earbud so you can play both earbuds or one at a time. Not only that there’s also sensors in the buds which will detect when you are wearing them and start/stop playing accordingly.

Airpods vs Powerbeats Pro Breakdown

Check out our extensive table below:

Airpods Pro Powerbeats Pro
Weight 5.4g (each)

45g (Charging Case)

 0.71 oz/20.3 g
Connections Bluetooth 5.0
Lightning to USB C (Case)		 Bluetooth

Lightning to USB – A (Case)
Accessibility Live Listen Audio
Sensors Dual beamforming microphones

Inward-facing microphone

Dual optical sensors

Motion-detecting accelerometer

Speech-detecting accelerometer

Force sensor

 Dual beam-forming microphones

Dual optical sensors

Motion-detecting accelerometer

Speech-detecting accelerometer
Power AirPods Pro

Up to 4.5 hours of listening time with a single charge.
(Additionally up to 5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency off)

Up to 3.5 hours of talk time with a single charge

 

More than 24 hours of listening time
More than 18 hours of talk time

5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of listening time7 or around 1 hour of talk time

 24hrs charge with the case

Single Charge 9hrs

5mins = 1.5hr 
Hey Siri Compatible  Yes Yes
H1 chip Yes Yes
Noise Isolation Yes Yes
Controls Pressing / Press and Hold Physical Buttons
Adjustable Ear Tips  Yes Yes
Adjustable Fit  No Yes
Sweat and Water Resistant Yes (IPX4) Yes

Airpods Pro vs Powerbeats Pro – What do you think?

Purchase them here: Air Pods 2nd Gen / Powerbeats Pro

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Porsche Car How To Kill An Hour

4 Must-Listen Podcasts For All The Car Enthusiasts Out There

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Porsche Car How To Kill An Hour

Car enthusiasts love chatting about their pride and joy, whether it’s a new catback exhaust system or the latest suspension mod. With these five awesome podcasts, now you can listen to other people chat about cars all day too!

 

1 . Gears & Beers

Grab yourself a beverage and join car lovers Joseph, Matt and Mitch as they drink beer and discuss all things automotive. These guys just love covering a huge range of interesting car topics including the increase in the value of Japanese cars and the rivalry between Nissan and Toyota. Here you’ll find and why Joseph is thinking about getting a traction mod on his GT86 and whether you should resist buying a Tesla. Wanna hear about Lamborghini’s growth due to the Urus? Here you’ll get the latest. From affordable electric SUVs to adjustments to the Integra, Gears & Beers have got all your techy car chat and banter.

 

2 . All Torque Car Podcast

Three pals Ross Galettis, Halil Mustafa and Peter Ronis get together to discuss the automotive world. Come and hear all about the Lexus F Sport V8’s, and get tips about restoration modding, (including a sweet 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback). Are you a car enthusiast who loves a new paint job now and then? Tune in and see what the boys have to say on metallic paint (and why it’s more expensive) plus the paint quality offered by different car companies. Interested in the ins and outs of racing cars? Don’t miss the episode where the guys sit down with Emtron Australia for a chat about creating engine systems for racing cars.

3.Carcast

Carcast is brought to you by your vehicle loving hosts Matt, Bill and Adam. Here you’ll get all the latest news and debate about the present and future of the automotive industry. There are also plenty of featured celeb car lovers along for the ride! From the Cadillac CT-V to racing in the Trans-Am, Carcast will keep you good and entertained every single show. Recent guests have included Alaistar weaver and Brian and Hailee Degan.

 

4.Bumper to bumper

Keen on auto repair tips and tricks? Try checking about Bumper to bumper to get some real useful info. Here you’ll learn all about wheel alignment and how tire alignment tech has evolved. You’ll also get yourself some handy tips on brake maintenance and commonly avoided repairs. Bumper to bumper will tell you how to maintain older vehicles plus the low down on extended warranties. If you enjoy doing it yourself when it comes to your car repair, Bumper to bumper is the show for you. With a little practice, you’ll be surprised what magic you can work on your motor. Once you’ve chosen your perfect car, you’ll want to keep it looking fresh.

 

Those who’d prefer a professional auto repair service can find more details on the Elite Automotive Website. Keeping up with your car maintenance issues consistently will ensure that your motor stays in the best condition. To keep track of when your service dates are due, try nifty apps like Car Minder. You can also use this app to monitor your fuel consumption.

 

2020

How To Prevent Eye Strain During Marathon Gaming Sessions

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After a marathon gaming session, your eyes can get sore and irritated and some people even get headaches. There are a lot of people out there that will tell you that means you’re gaming too much and you should try to cut back a bit. But if you’re an avid gamer, you probably don’t want to do that, and when you get immersed in your favorite gaming world, the hours can easily slip by without you noticing. The good news is, you can have the best of both worlds because there are ways to prevent eye strain when you are gaming, even for long sessions. These are some of the best ways to prevent eye strain while you game. 

The 20/20/20 Rule

The 20/20/20 rule is something that office workers use a lot, but it is also useful for gamers. Every 20 minutes, you should take a 20 second break from the screen and look at something that is around 20 feet away. This helps to refocus your eyes on something more distant and it can really help with eye strain. You don’t need to stick to it exactly, but you should pause the game every now and again to take a short break. If you are gaming online, you can look away from the screen between matches. 

Blue Light Blockers 

Eye strain is caused mainly by the blue light from the screen, and it is this blue light that also makes it difficult for people to get to sleep because it suppresses production of sleep hormones. You can get some great blue light blocker glasses that solve this issue. They will reduce eye strain when you are playing a marathon session, and after you eventually decide to switch off and go to bed, you will find it a lot easier to go to sleep. 

Get The Lighting Right 

Lighting is so important when you are gaming and if you get the lighting setup wrong, it will make eye strain a lot worse. You need the room to be evenly lit and avoid putting any light sources directly behind the screen. You should also avoid light that points directly at the screen because this will increase screen glare and eye strain a lot. Fluorescent lights should be avoided as well. As long as you play in a bright, evenly lit room, you can reduce eye strain a lot. 

Remember To Blink 

You might laugh at this suggestion but it’s important. When you play games, your eyes focus intensely on the screen and you do not blink as much as you normally would. This causes your eyes to dry out and get irritated and sore. It is difficult to control your blinking because it is an unconscious reaction, but you need to make an effort to ensure that you are blinking enough when you play games. 

 

If you try these simple tips, you can reduce eye strain a lot when you are gaming. However, if you still find that it is a problem, maybe you should try to shorten those big gaming marathons just a little bit. 

The Mundane Millionaire

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You could soon become a mundane millionaire! What’s a mundane millionaire I hear you ask? I know it seems crazy. But hear us out.

So, according to new research you could earn at least £2.2million just by filming every day activities and uploading them to YouTube.

So far 6.5Million people have watched a video on how to make a cup of tea. Even brushing your teeth could make you almost £3,500!

It has been said that YouTube pays users an average of £3.18 per 1,000 views.

While if you break that down that’s 0.0032p per view for ads shown before videos. With a new £13 per 1,000 view ad rate is taken into account, channels could earn up to £3.7M for filming their day.

Upload mundane activities such as washing your face, eating your breakfast or feeding your pet. Could earn you up to £2,247,842 in ad revenue.

Furthermore tasks such as using the toilet and sending en email have racked up 11,746,923 views combined.

YouTube pays users £3.18 for every 1,000 views but adverts have to be watched in full.

While an average of 59% of users skip the ads. Making the earnings drop to £921,615 per day. Which is 30x the average annual UK salary. (£30,420)

The chart below breaks down mundane activities and shows the potential earnings based on each ad revenue:

“How To Get Dressed” – which you could argue has a cynical reasoning behind it’s high performance.

Still highlights that channels are making a substantial amount of income from filming every day activities and putting ads on them.

Children

Those with children could earn even more money. While £1M from every day activities is a lot, channels can earn an extra £190,000 through filming reading bedtime stories or putting them the kids to bed.

While many Brits are working from home at the moment due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of them could earn some extra income. Such as £2,237,659 from filming their morning routine. With £6,047 coming from washing hands.

In January 2020, it was announced that YouTube monetisation rates rose to an average of £13 per 1,000 ad views. While taking into account the 59% drop off rate. It could earn people a staggering £3,744,061.

EDITORS NOTE: 

Average UK salary used is £30,420 as posited by the Office For National Statistics.

The potential earnings were calculated based on the most-viewed and relevant video from the top five search results, with each query beginning with ‘how to [mundane activity]’.

 

Listen to the guys chatting about this by clicking here! 

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Tag Archive for: How To Kill An Hour