Roxanne Briean

Evernote Increases Price for Premium and Plus Packages

June 29, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

If you’ve been a faithful user of Evernote, the popular note-taking app, you might want to hear the news. According to a recent announcement, there will be some price changes for the Premium and Plus packages – and not for the cheaper.

There are also new limitations for the free Basic package that will restrict users to only devices. Evernote sent an email to Basic users who use the app on more than two devices, warning them about the changes and saying they have 30 days to adjust and comply.

They were also reminded of the possibility of switching to Plus or Premium accounts that will maintain their unlimited status for the number of supported devices.

While Evernote Basic remains free of charge, the company has increased the price of the Plus package; the new price is $3.99 a month (or $34.99 a year). Plus users are able to take their notebooks offline on a mobile device and are offered 1GB of upload space each month.

On the other hand, users of the Premium package will pay $7.99 a month (or $69.99 a year), to access 10GB of space; it also comes with the ability to turn business cards into phone contacts and annotate PDF documents. Evernote has also announced that a formerly paid feature, Passcode lock, is now available for free in the Basic package.

More updates will be rolled out this year, as the company said its goal is “investing in our core products to make them more powerful and intuitive while also delivering often-requested new features.”

Evernote is a really useful app that stays at the core of many users’ “paperless” efforts. However, the news is not likely to sit well with a lot of them, especially considering that this isn’t the first time the company has made some questionable decisions.

That said, there’s hope that CEO Chris O’Neill can find the balance between focusing on the bread and butter of the company while also making sure its customers are satisfied.

Do you use Evernote, and if you do, what’s your reaction to these changes? Are you considering a downgrade from a Premium or a Plus subscription or will you keep paying the price?
Image Source: YouTube

Pinterest Camera Search Allows Online Shopping for Real-Life Items

June 29, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Pinterest is a content sharing website in its own league, attracting users from all demographics to pin images on virtual boards in the hope they will one day use the craft ideas in real-life.

In recent months, however, the service has taken a more direct approach to shopping, allowing users to access online stores for the items they liked and pinned. Now, Pinterest has announced a new feature.

Soon, users will be able to snap pictures of real-life objects and shop for the desired items online. Filed under ‘camera search,’ the tool is only one of the many shopping options that Pinterest has revealed on Tuesday at its San Francisco headquarters.

According to Pinterest’s president Tim Kendall, this new search feature is meant to allow pinners act on their offline shopping urges with an online tool.

Available in the coming months, the camera search will allow users to snap a picture of an item they see in real-life (like that crazy pair of shoes you saw this morning on the subway) and find similar products on Pinterest that you can buy.

The service has an extra offering for its iOS pinners called ‘visual search’ which is a part of automatic object detection. This tool allows people to use photos as search queries by identifying products within a pin’s image.

To use the option, just tap on the search icon located on the upper-right corner of a pin, which opens a browsing window for detected items. You can also manually drag a rectangular cropper if you want to make a more specific search.

Automatic detection has begun rolling out to iOS users today and the gradual launch will reach all pinners within the next few weeks.

“Shopping with Pinterest is meant to be that bridge between getting inspiration and making it part of your real life,” said Ben Silbermann, CEO of Pinterest.

That gap has been infamously recognized by users who have thousands of clothes items in their virtual closet but who have rarely thought of buying them in real-life.

With more than 100 million monthly active users, Pinterest reported about $100 million in revenue in 2015. The company’s employee count is also on the rise, with about 800 workers in Paris, London, Tokyo, Berlin, and Sao Paulo, in addition to the Pinterest’s San Francisco headquarters.
Image Source: CNET

Microsoft’s Surface 3 Tablet No Longer Available for Purchase

June 27, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

If you wanted to purchase Microsoft’s Surface 3 tablet, we’re sorry to announce that ship has sailed. The tech company has made it official: the production and sales of this device from the Surface series is winding down, set to be ceased completely by December 2016.

For those browsing through Microsoft Store recently, this is probably not news anymore. Only one product is currently still available, and it comes with 64GB of storage, 2GB of memory, Wi-Fi and 4G LTE capabilities (for the price of $500).

Next to any other version of the Surface 3 tablet, the availability listing says “Email me when available” for those trying to order the device online, but don’t hold your breath waiting for those.

But what prompted Microsoft to make this decision?

“Since launching Surface 3 over a year ago, we have seen strong demand and satisfaction amongst our customers. Inventory is now limited and by the end of December 2016, we will no longer manufacture Surface 3 devices,” reads a statement from the tech company.

So what’s the future of Microsoft’s entry-level tablet? The firm has yet to unveil if it has any plans for a Surface 4, as there are no signs yet. While the next gen of Surface would make a good counterbalance for Surface Pro 4, such a move would jeopardize the fate of Surface Pro 3.

Microsoft sources revealed that the company is apparently uncertain about what to do next. If it decides for a successor to the Surface 3 tablet, the hardware would probably hit the market in the spring of 2017, once Windows 10 Redstone 2 is unveiled.

It makes sense that Microsoft would want to have a combined launch for the next major update for the OS and the new Windows 10 hybrid tablet/laptops (matching hardware for the next generation of software).

It’s also possible that an entry-level tablet cannot find a place in the future of the Surface brand, particularly because these products are meant to be a combination of the benefits of having a good laptop (and tablet) and the sleek elegance of an Apple device.

Some of the Surface 3 specs were not well received by critics, including the average battery life and the slower Intel Atom processor; the two-in-one device was best used for lighter Windows tasks.
Image Source: YouTube

It’s Easier to Get Birth Control Pills Via Apps or Online

June 22, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Thanks to the sex tech revolution, you can avoid the unpleasantness of buying birth control in person. A growing number of women choose to get their pills via mobile phones, but is that safe?

According to the New York Times, Americans are given digital access to birth control from at least half a dozen ventures across the nation, starting from nonprofits like Planned Parenthood to various apps that can help them get contraceptive pills.

One of these apps, Lemonaid, can help users by having a doctor review their medical information and sending a birth control pill prescription to their local pharmacy for the cost of only $15.

There are many potential factors contributing to the rise in telemedicine for reproductive health, ranging from simple convenience to women wanting to save money on prescriptions.

However, probably the biggest drive of them all – and a recurring theme in the piece – is young women wanting to avoid the shame that comes with asking their doctors about birth control. It’s much easier to turn to apps and websites to get easy access to contraception than having to face slut shaming from health care providers.

As explained by Peter Ax, the CEO of birth control app PRJKT Ruby, “Privacy is a big issue. We’ve consistently heard that consumers feel this is a private conversation and it’s such more comfortable online than in a face to face setting.”

Some doctors and medical professionals reserve the right to deny patients access to contraception for personal reasons; many of them say their religious beliefs are against it. But it doesn’t stop there.

Even after they get their prescriptions, women can also be shamed when filling their prescriptions at health clinics and pharmacies. Turning to telemedicine can be a relief, but this alternative is also rigged with regulation, given the fact that state laws regarding contraception differ widely.

While Ax provides prescriptions only to users 16 and up to stay away from controversy, Lemonaid’s chief medical officer, Dr. Jason Hwang, decided to not deliver contraceptive to minors. However, other apps, including Nurx, cater to users as young as 14, as long as the law in their state allows it.
Image Source: Vice

Google Photos Finally Introduces Slideshow Feature

June 19, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

In an attempt to make it easier for users to show off their vacation pictures during the next family reunion, Google has added a new slideshow option for its Photos app.

For now, the feature has only been made available for the Android app and on the desktop; iOS users will have to wait a while longer to get access.

Thanks to the slideshow feature, users can forget all about clicking on every image in the folder while they talk about the most recent trip they’ve been on. Thanks to the new capability, they simply have to open a folder, tap a photo, and choose the Slideshow option from the drop-down menu.

Halting the slideshow is as easy as it was to turn it on; you just tap on a photo. Google’s recommendation is that you improve the viewing experience by using the Chrome tab to the TV so that your friends and family can enjoy the photos on a larger screen.

However, Google still has to tweak some features; at the moment, users cannot tweak the speed of the slideshow. You can’t go faster through the pictures you took of the landscapes, and slower through your selfies (let’s be honest); Google says you have to wait equally for all.

The search giant is constantly upping the ante on its Photos app. Google has previously launched a very useful feature that automatically organizes the album so that users can skip the dreadful chore of having to do it themselves.

Among other wonderful quirks, Google Photos (it’s Assistant, to be more specific) can compile new albums from recently taken snapshots, and even offers you a selection of the best pictures in the set.

Tools like app adds and maps are also cool, allowing you to remember precisely where your photos were taken. If you want to add more meaning to your album, you’re also allowed to caption each photo before adding it to a folder.

There are more than 200 million people using Google Photos at the moment, and the app seems to be riding rather well in the increasingly competitive market. It’s not long before Google teaches its deep learning systems to detect the emotion you felt when you took a particular photo!
Image Source: The Next Web

Business Users of Uber Will Be Able to Schedule Rides

June 11, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Uber is maintaining its status among the ride-hailing companies by constantly bringing new features passengers and drivers can use to make their relationship more comfortable.

So, Uber will now allow riders to schedule their rides – provided they’re not more than 30 days in advance.

The first people to get access to the new service are business travelers located in the Seattle area; the scheduling option became available at 11 a.m. on Thursday. Quick expansion to more cities is something Uber has already promised.

Tom Fallows, Uber’s head of global experiences, said the new option hopes to attract meticulous planners with busy calendars to their side, as well as riders who “want an extra degree of assurance Uber will be there when they head out.”

No-one wants to miss an early morning flight because there’s no ride to take them to the airport. “They sleep better knowing their Uber ride is arranged,” Fallows said.

App users with a business profile will be able to schedule a trip by simply choosing a route, and set a date and time. According to the announcement, scheduled rides will not be pricier than the normal Uber ride; however, they are similarly subject to surge pricing.

“If you’re requesting the ride at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning and it’s super high demand, surge may apply just like it normally would,” Fallows explained. “We send riders a push notification on the way, notifying them if there’s any surge.”

The scheduled rides can be modified up until the driver has been dispatched; when users receive the push notification about the driver already being en route, they will still be able to cancel without penalty within 5 minutes.

Fallows added that the option to schedule rides will initially be available only on UberX, but the taxi-on-demand company wants to expand it to other Uber lines soon, such as black cars.

Seattle was chosen for the first launch because the city has a lot of business travelers. Even though scheduling is a simple concept, Fallows explained it needed heavy planning so the dispatching system would work efficiently.

Uber’s engineers are expecting to receive feedback for the Seattle rollout of the new feature.
Image Source: Forbes

Why You Still Get Sunburns Even When Using Sunscreen

May 28, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

We all know how important it is to use sunscreen – yet we all could apply it more reliably than we do. You might have heard of some of these tips, but your knowledge in taking care of yourself and protecting your skin against cancer is worth a periodical review.

Here’s what experts have to say about the practice of applying sunscreen.

You might not apply enough. Depending on your body size, the recommended amount is enough lotion to fill a shot glass. When they go to the beach, people are smart enough to apply sunscreen, but the problem is that they might not use enough.
Even if the lotion you’re using is supposed to be waterproof, beachgoers – or pool lovers – should reapply after each swimming. If you’re at the beach only for the tan, the protection should be reapplied every two hours, regardless of the SPF count.
This might be a less-known fact, but for the sunscreen to be efficient, it must be applied 15 minutes before exposure. And don’t forget to cover the tops of your ears and the tops of the feet – which are the most frequent spots people forget about.
While spray-on sunscreens are still a mystery even for the US Food and Drug Administration in terms of how safe or effective they are, some medical professionals suggest they are better than applying nothing.

To stay on the safe side of things, spray-on sunscreen should be applied indoors in a well-ventilated area, and never directly on the face. If you’re going to apply it on the beach, the wind might make it fly away, leaving you inadequately protected.

It’s 2016; you’re most likely taking your smartphone to the beach, so why not rely on it to remind you that it’s time to reapply? A quick search on both Apple Store and Play Store will reveal hundreds of free and inexpensive apps that could alert you when you need it.
If you’re not convinced about the health benefits of using sunscreen more reliably, then consider this: applying sunscreen every day (during summer) — not just when you’re at the beach or the park — can prevent the appearance of wrinkles and brown spots.

Sunscreen is the No. 1 anti-aging ingredient, so why not use it properly?
Image Source: MNN

Tobacco Farms Encourage Child Labor

May 26, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Tobacco leaves are filled with nicotine that can be absorbed through skin.

According to a new report, Indonesian tobacco farms encourage child labor. It seems that most of the workers that come in contact with the raw product are children with ages between 8 and 18. The small ones are responsible for easy tasks like removing weeds while the older ones are in charge of watering and pesticide treatments.

A group of reporters decided to travel to Indonesia and see who are the people that handle the tobacco plants that eventually end up in the cigarettes that we smoke. After interviewing all sorts of workers, they created a comprehensive documentary that presents the current situation on tobacco farms.

According to the documentary, most Indonesian children that are born in low-income families are forced to work on tobacco farms at age 8 and higher.

The small children are in charge of removing the weeds, harvesting the tobacco leaves, and fertilizing the plants. The heavy lifting involved in the watering and insecticide spread processes is reserved for those aged 13 and higher.

Apart from the fact that the children are forced to work at very young ages, they are also exposed to countless health risks. The tobacco plant is very potent. When handled with bare hands, it transfers nicotine on the hands of the children, intoxicating them.

Nicotine poisoning is a usual occurrence among the young Indonesian workers. Unfortunately for them, some of the effects of this disorder can scar them for life.

When the body of a child is invaded by high amounts of nicotine, his or her brain is the most affected. In the case in which the infant is exposed to the substance on a regular basis, the child could end up suffering from long-term brain damage, growth impairment, and even organ failure.

Moreover, the child workers are not only exposed to nicotine but also urea, which is a highly potent insecticide.

If they somehow manage to escape the effects of the dangerous substances, they still face the risk of collapsing due to heat exposure, sustained physical effort, and exhaustion.

In the meantime, tobacco companies are buying the dried leaves from traders who hide the fact that the product was obtained through child labor. When asked about their policy on child labor, companies like Djarum refused to comment.

Image source: Wikipedia

Alzheimer’s Risk Connected to Loss of Y Chromosome in Men

May 24, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

A new study suggests that aging men who lose Y chromosomes from their blood cells could have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

After analyzing more than 3,200 men for the study, researchers found those who already had Alzheimer’s were three times more likely to have lost some of the Y chromosomes in their blood cells.

Furthermore, older men with fewer Y chromosomes were found to face an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s sometime in the next eight years. However, experts explained that the study is not proof that a reduced number of Y chromosomes directly influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

But study co-author Lars Forsberg explained it does add to the existing evidence tying loss of Y to increased disease risk. Forsberg, who is a researcher with the Uppsala University in Sweden, added that one day, there could be a test for loss of Y in men’s blood that will be able to predict their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

The findings were published online in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

For a long time, researchers believed the Y chromosome in men did little more than determine their sex and enable normal sperm production. However, recent studies have proved that the Y chromosome comes with a number of genes whose functions are still to be understood.

At the same time, scientists have also known that as men age, their blood cells can lose some Y chromosome, something that was seen as a normal part of the process. New studies seem to prove otherwise.

For example, a 2014 study conducted by Forsberg and his team discovered that older men with a loss of Y were more likely to have cancer and die earlier than other men.

Dr. Luca Giliberto, a researcher and neurologist at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, who was not part of the study, said the team took into consideration other factors tied to Alzheimer’s risk, such as education levels, older age, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Even so, men with a loss of Y in their blood cells were still nearly seven times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, compared to other men. But much more is to be learned about this potential connection between the Y chromosome and disease.
Image Source: Chapelboro

Side Car Windows Don’t Protect You From UV-A Rays

May 14, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

A new study found that even though you’re very well protected from the sun’s UV-A rays from your car’s front windshield, you’re probably exposed to the unhealthy radiation from the side windows.

It’s a widely-known fact that prolonged exposure to ultraviolet A (or UV-A) rays can increase one’s chances of developing skin cancer and cataracts. And taking into consideration the long hours many Americans drive each day, are our cars really safe?

One researcher in California set out to determine if our vehicles offer enough sun protection. For the study, Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, working at the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills, analyzed samples of glass from 29 cars manufactured by 15 different carmakers.

Wachler measured the levels of ambient UV-A radiation from two locations in the car: behind the driver’s side window and behind the front windshield. All the cars examined in the study were produced between 1990 and 2014.

Overall, windshield windows offer good UV-A protection against, but as far as the car’s side windows are concerned, protection was significantly lower and inconsistent, according to the study’s findings.

While the front windshields kept at bay an average of 96 percent of UV-A rays, the side windows were only 71 percent successful. In total, just 14 percent of the tested cars were deemed to offer a high-enough level of side-window UV-A protection.

But what exactly is the problem with being exposed to UV-A rays? Researchers explain that it could contribute to a higher prevalence of skin cancer on the left side of the drivers’ faces, as well as cataracts in the left eye.

Based on the new data, Wechler believes that “automakers may wish to consider increasing the degree of UV-A protection in the side windows of automobiles.” His conclusions were supported by Dr. Doris Day, a skin cancer expert and dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

According to her assessment, UV-A rays have the potential to be especially dangerous to the skin. “The World Health Organization has designated all wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation as known carcinogens,” said Day in a statement.

This is a problem especially for people who have daily commutes or their jobs require them to spend extended periods in the car. The solution? Wear sunscreen and make sure it has protection protects against both UV-A and UV-B rays.
Image Source: Geico

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