Aug 1, 2014

Happy Friday

A smile provides an easy facelift.

I get them for free by enjoying a Happy Friday!

Stores Meet Iternet

Home improvement giant Lowe’s just bought 42,000 handheld point of sales devices for its 1700+ outlets. Its competitor Home Depot spent $64 million placing 30,000+ of its First Phone Motorola mobile devices. Nordstroms has 6,000 devices. Urban Outfitters and Pacific Sun are following. Mobile and tablet technology is changing the way we shop.

Smaller businesses use Square, a free tiny box like card reader that plugs into smart phones or pads to transform them into registers on the go. In fact, there are a host of other companies offering ways for stores and vendors to capture sales without using a cash register. Great for those who have small stores or do kiosk type shows to now accept credit cards and sales with little expense and no hassle.

Major chains like Whole Foods Market, Gap, Patagonia, Sears, and Kmart are now using mobile devices to email receipts to customers instead of handing them paper. Of course, they are also tacking on email alerts and advertisements, which may explain why only about one third of customers are opting in. Customers can now try and buy in the store and have stuff shipped home for free. Better than lugging it around the mall as they continue shopping.

Amazing how, in a few generations telephones, cash registers, typewriters, incandescent light bulbs, etc., once revolutionary, have already become obsolete. For techies in the crowd, the Singularity has begun.

Selfie Toast

Here is a company that will produce and deliver a reasonably priced personal toaster that will create toast with your picture etched on every piece. More designs also available. LINK  Fun stuff to impress your guests.

High Tech Meets Low Tech

An inexpensive diagnostic test made from paper has been developed that can assess liver health in 15 minutes and for only pennies a test. The test uses a single drop of blood from a finger prick to measure the presence of liver enzymes, and doesn't require the presence of a laboratory, instruments, or syringes. If liver enzymes are present in the blood, wells within the paper will show a color change, which are be color matched to a scale to determine approximate degree of concentration. A color change indicates the concentration range of enzymes present. Though this can be checked by eye, greater accuracy could be achieved by scanning the paper with a smartphone, which are incredibly prevalent throughout regions in which the kit would be used.

Liver damage can be a consequence of taking antiretroviral drugs, which are prescribed to HIV patients. Because of the high HIV infection rates in poor countries, liver problems are on the rise, so the ability to cheaply monitor blood is important to prevent potentially fatal side effects of the drugs meant to save people’s lives.

The paper uses patterns, channels, and assay zones (or wells) of water-repellent materials on a piece of paper about the size of a postage stamp. Biological and chemical assay reagents are then deposited in the wells. When blood, urine, saliva, sweat or other biological samples are applied to it, the paper wicks the sample through the channels to the assay zones, without external pumps or power. Upon contact, the assay zone quickly changes color and results are then easily read by comparing the color change with a printed reference scale. After use, it can be easily disposed of by burning.

These patterned paper-based devices can be embedded with electrical circuitry to enable resistive heating, electrochemical assays, or initial processing of assay results. Multiple sheets of patterned paper can be stacked to generate three-dimensional devices capable of automatically performing a variety of complex fluid operations such as splitting, filtration, mixing, and separations.

The postage stamp-sized paper diagnostics system was developed in the laboratory of Harvard Professor George Whitesides seven years ago. With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Professor Whitesides started the non-profit organization, Diagnostics For All., and looked to improve the health of the poorest areas of the world. The team is also working on malaria and dengue fever tests.

An ink jet printer using wax ink prints a pattern on two sheets of paper. One sheet contains reagents that react with liver enzymes, the other dyes that change color if a reaction occurs. The two sheets are fused together by heating, so that channels or wells that can be used as miniaturized test tubes for reactions are produced. A plasma filter is added and the three are laminated together, and cut into postage stamp size squares. The rest of the world could also benefit from this low cost efficient healthcare.

Toilet Paper Origami

Speaking of low tech, I was floored when I came across a site on Pinterest that is dedicated to making origami figures from toilet paper. It has everything from flowers to boats, and more. Almost was afraid to share this, but couldn't help myself. If you really want to waste some time, here is the LINK.

Email and Productivity

If you want to be efficient, do not open your email until at least 10am. Do not peek. Do not IM. Do not check Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, or Twitter, or anyplace else on the web.

Productive people get up and get on with doing the things they have decided are important. Reacting to someone else is not productive, nor is it efficient or effective. It is difficult to read an email without reacting and you are reacting to someone's priority, not yours.

Next, decide the clock time and a certain amount of action time to read and react to email. Quickly scan your inbox and prioritize, file, or delete as necessary. This should take no longer than ten minutes. Then go back and react to the priority items and attack them. When one hour has elapsed, go back to your priorities.

You might need to get into your email to finish some of your most important to-dos, but can you get 80 or 90 percent done before you go into email and waste your time on other people's priorities

Research shows email: Creates stress, can be more addictive than alcohol and tobacco, and checking email frequently is the equivalent of dropping your IQ ten points. It also interrupts your progress. Happiness is also important, so after you have finished your high priority projects, reward yourself by reading my Friday Thoughts.

Real Credit Score Report

Finally, here is a site that provides your actual credit score for free. That is no credit card info required to sign up. No fees. It does ask to link your cards and offers other add ons for fees, but you can get the basic info, including your credit score for free. There are free credit reports from each of the big three, transunion, etc., but they only give transaction info once each six months, and do not provide the credit score.

I never could understand how companies could take my information from wherever they choose, then try to sell that information about me to me. This one is different. CreditKarma.com.

Uses for Aloe Vera

A friend recently dropped off some Aloe Vera for the garden. I knew it had some great medicinal properties, but found more on the web. Also found it survives the winter in Texas. It is antibacterial and contains vitamins and minerals. Here are a few topical and other uses.

  • Slice aloe leaves lengthwise and use the inner sides as a biodegradable body scrub in the shower
  • Rub on to treat burns from grease splatters or hot utensils
  • Rub on to reduce sunburn sting
  • Rub on to eliminate sting or itch from insect bites and allergic skin reactions
  • Rub on to fight Athlete's Foot
  • Rub on as moisturizer for dry skin, remove makeup, or for shaving
  • Soothe Psoriasis, Rosacea, Eczema, blisters, bruises, and rashes
  • Prevent scarring and stretch marks
  • Reduce facial wrinkles
  • After washing, apply to eliminate acne
  • Decrease skin pigmentation and dark spots
  • Drink to relieve indigestion, but not too much or can cause diarrhea
  • Take aloe orally to relieve heartburn, arthritis, and rheumatism pain
  • Boil leaves in a pan of water and breathe in the vapor to reduce affects of asthma

Friday Thought