22nd Oct 2012

Can You Use Chopsticks Correctly?

For many families in Japan and the rest of Asia, chopsticks are the main utensil for eating food at the dining table. Now Japanese people have been using them since they were small so not many would expect this but many have been incorrectly using chopsticks. According to a study (via Nikkei), about 30% of people aged 40-50 have been using chopsticks correctly. If they aren’t holding it correctly, how does one hold them then?

Well, many mainstream chopsticks are one size and the size of a chopstick can make it more difficult to manipulate them. Another reason many are not holding them correctly is the placement of the chopsticks in their hands. In Japan, not being able to properly hold chopsticks can bring embarrassment since it can reflect on one’s upbringing.

However, as the research shows, many Japanese aren’t using them correctly, so there is some leeway in terms of perfect usage. So take the time to practice! For everyone else, as long as you don’t stick your chopsticks in a bowl of rice or use chopsticks that don’t match (both have funeral connotations), they won’t cut you with a samurai sword. Check out the link below for more info!

Read Original Article Here

15th Oct 2012

Mind Control Kitty Tail

Mee-ow! Ever want to become a full fledged kitty cat? Well now you can. Neurowear, the makers of the Necomimi robot cat ears, comes a mechanical tail that moves accordingly to the user’s emotional state. Apparently you can wear a brain-reading sensor hidden under your hat that is also used for the Necomimi that acts as cat ears on your head. Recognizing two modes: relaxed and concentrating. Relaxing will allow your tail to wag “soft and slow” while concentrating will allow it to wag “hard and fast”.

Would you use this? Is it too weird? Or would you rock it like no one cares?

Check out the video on how it works below~

Shippo Brain Controlled Concept Video

Read Original Article Here

1st Oct 2012

A Modern Willy Wonka Contest

Mmm, sweet! Nestle has randomly placed a GPS tracking device into half a dozen chocolate bars sold in Ireland and the U.K., giving candy lovers a chance to win 10,000 pounds ($16,218) if they find the right one. Only six Kit-Kat, Kit-Kat Chunky, Aero, and Yorkie bars contain the GPS tracking chip (aka golden ticket), which activates and notifies Nestle once opened.

Nestle also put up 3,000 posters with NFC and QR codes so smartphone users can track how many bars are left or win from 2,000 additional prizes. As of today, the six “Golden” chocolate bars are still at large. Check out the link below for the funny commercial by Nestle.

Are you guys out in Europe? How goes the hunt? Do tell us below~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk2Lfgh1c4Q

Read Original Article Here

24th Sep 2012

Romney Doesn’t Understand Why You Can’t Roll Down Windows

On Monday, Mitt Romney offered a solution to a problem he had experienced on a plane that was forced to land due to an electrical fire causing smoke to fill the main cabin.

“When you have a fire in an aircraft, there’s no place to go, exactly,” he told the LA Times. “And you can’t find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get in the aircraft, because the windows don’t open. I don’t know why they don’t do that. It’s a real problem.”

Air crafts do not have windows that you can open because cabins are air pressurized. And yes, it is necessary because it allows  passengers to be safe when flying tens of thousands of feet in the air. Without closed windows, passengers would have a hard time breathing and become extremely sick.

Read Original Article Here

12th Sep 2012

LOLZ, Photobomb, Mwahahaha in the Dictionary?

Dictionaries have a hard time. Picking a word to insert into the dictionary takes timing and if they let a word in too early, they get mocked. Add a word too late, it looks out of date. Words are hard, yes, but some words don’t exactly need defining like some of these just added to the Oxford Dictionaries Online.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of wacky terms that made the cut to be included inside the Oxford Dictionaries Online. The problem is that the language we use via Internet is a completely different lingo. Anyways a few are:

• lolz
• mwahahaha (seriously?)
• photobomb
• ridic
• tweeps
• ethical hacker (this cracks me up)
• hackathon
• hat tip
• lifecasting
• inbox (just now?)
• UX
• video chat
• Wikipedian

Now, I can totally see how some of those words need defining. UX, inbox, video chat, even hackathon. But words like mwahahaha and ridic are well, ridic. Come on now. Here are some none tech words that are now part of the dictionary and they’re even more ridiculous. Check the rest out via the link below!

Read Original Article Here