Educating the mind without education the heart is not education at all. – Aristotle
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self-improvement
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You can love someone so much, but you can never love people as much as you can miss them. – John Green
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Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness.
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Diabetics may not have to prick their fingers with a needle to monitor their glucose levels in the near future. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego have discovered a way to test and monitor glucose levels by using a small, stick-on temporary tattoo.
Globally, diabetes is one of the leading causes of death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), close to 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. Moreover, 1 out of 4 people do not know they have the disease. This is why the recent scientific advancement and discovery will be a most welcome change for existing and future diabetics.
Currently, diabetics manage this most unfortunate condition by painfully getting blood samples from their fingers. Diabetics use the traditional method of monitoring their glucose levels to prevent problems associated with diabetes by sticking their fingers with a small needle multiple times throughout the day.
Diabetics Welcome This New Discovery
Recently, a University of California, San Diego graduate student named Amay Bandodkar created an electronic device, which has the potential of replacing the traditional methods of monitoring glucose levels in diabetics. This innovative device is made up of an electronic sensor, with interwoven electrodes printed on tattoo paper.
The way it works is quite extraordinary. Diabetics can simply place the temporary tattoo on their arm and the device measures the patient’s glucose levels continuously throughout the day.
Creator Amay Bandodkar provided EurekAlert more information about his new invention.
“The readout instrument will also eventually have Bluetooth capabilities to send this information directly to the patient’s doctor in real-time or store data in the cloud.”
He added, “Presently the tattoo sensor can easily survive for a day. These are extremely inexpensive, a few cents, and hence can be replaced without much financial burden on the patient.”
Bandodkar and a team of nanoengineers at the university developed and tested this amazing device in Professor Joseph Wang’s laboratory at the NanoEngineering Department and the Center for Wearable Sensors at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. The team was able to provide documented evidence that the electronic sensor will function as intended and work at measuring glucose levels.
Researchers at the university performed an early trial on seven men and women between the ages of 20 and 40. The participants were not diabetics; however, the test results revealed the temporary tattoo was just as accurate as a finger-prick test. Additionally, the volunteers reported they hardly felt anything while wearing the device; they only felt a mild tingling sensation for about 10 seconds.
How The Tattoo Works At Managing Diabetes
The researchers developed the device to apply a very gentle electric current to the skin for about 10 minutes. Sodium ions that carry glucose are located in the fluid between skin cells. Glucose is drawn out and flows to the temporary rub-on tattoo. An electronic sensor in the tattoo measures an electrical charge produced by the glucose.
Professor Wang and the team published their study in the journal of Analytical Chemistry. Bandodkar explained more about the flexible device for diabetics.
“The concentration of glucose extracted by the non-invasive tattoo device is almost hundred times lower than the corresponding level in the human blood. Thus we had to develop a highly sensitive glucose sensor that could detect such low levels of glucose with high selectivity.”
Currently, the tattoo for diabetics does not provide a numerical reading; however, scientists are working on developing a way to provide a numeric readout. They are also working on developing an application that is capable of sending information of diabetics in real time using Bluetooth technology.
According to the researchers, the tattoo could be used to measure other important chemicals such as lactate, a metabolite analyzed in athletes to monitor their fitness. This device may also be used to detect illegal drug or alcohol consumption, or to test how well medication is working.
Costing a few pennies and a less painful alternative for managing diabetes, this discreet and non-invasive device is a most welcome advancement for diabetics.
Featured photo credit: University of California, San Diego via media.gotraffic.net
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Inhale the future, exhale the past.
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We have an astounding 7.29 billion people populating our little blue planet at the moment, and while this means that we have pretty much developed to a point where no natural predators or disasters can truly threaten our society, it also means that we have to start developing into a global civilization. To achieve this, we must first work on improving communication across continents and nations. Skype has proven to be an excellent tool for connecting people from across the globe, allowing free sharing of information on a very personal level.
It is a very secure and reliable platform that has given many of us some unique opportunities in both our professional and our personal lives, but Skype is now coming out with some truly revolutionary tools. The new Skype Translator will allow direct translation between different languages. The idea is to allow two people to speak or type in their native language and have it automatically translated to the other person’s language.
Now, this isn’t just talk or a cool idea to look forward to – the Skype Translator preview will launch later this year and will only initially offer Spanish and English, with other options quickly following. You can register here to give it a shot, and become a part of the cultural renaissance. Skype will invite a limited amount of people to use this preview and help them put the polishing touches on their Skype Translator.
So, how does it work?
It is actually quite simple. Everything you say is translated into another language (currently only available between English and Spanish), and the person you are talking to hears everything in their own language, spoken by the characteristic computer generated voice. There is also a transcription of everything that is said, in both languages. You can also use this option for sending instant messages in over 40 different languages. The software used can actually learn to provide better translations through use, so with time we can expect some very accurate translating with minimal processing time.
The setup is quick and easy – you just chose your friend’s spoken and written language, and you can start chatting – and the Skype Translator has already been tested by schoolchildren form the US and Mexico, who have had a great time making friends and learning about another culture.
The implications of this technology and what we can expect in the future
With near instant translation at our disposal, and with advanced computer learning software that can pick up on subtleties related to meaning with extended use, it will be easier than ever for people from different cultures to exchange experiences, learn together and develop emotional connections. It will certainly make a huge impact on the business world, improving the communication between the business representative and an overseas client or between company branches form different parts of the world.
However, the most important benefit will be that we will be able to learn more about other cultures. As information on how people live across the world becomes more accessible, through firsthand accounts no less, we will develop a much more realistic picture on the state the world is in.
Not merely relying on news and mostly erroneous claims found on the internet, will help us open up to different cultures. While we can’t change human nature, and there will always be some bad people around, studies have shown that people growing up in racially diverse communities are much more comfortable dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds – which means that children growing up in a world where you can freely communicate face-to-face with other children from all over the globe will be able to work towards creating a true global civilization, where notions of racism and xenophobia won’t have much of an impact on society.
Of course, we will have to wait and see how this technology develops, but it is a very big step forward that can lead us to great things.
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Because higher education doesn’t bridge the gap between curriculum and real world demands, many millennials are drowning in student-loan debt or being under-utilized in the workforce. In order to combat the famous catch-22, “you can’t get experience without having experience,” fresh graduates are investing in more higher education in hopes that another degree will provide answers to the age-old question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
So, how do you get experience without having any? The first step is to identify the most strategic first job available – one that sets the foundation for a sustainable career and gives you the tools you need to reach that next step. Easier said than done, right? With employers who are sometimes hesitant to hire new grads, and no real direction, getting that first gig requires new graduates to get creative. My advice? Take control of your career by getting a variety of experiences early on – even if it’s unpaid internships or volunteer positions, seek out help – such as a mentor in your desired field – to guide you through the process.
Here are some tips for starting your career that they didn’t teach you in school!
1. Be strategic about your first job.
View your first job as a means to accomplishing a specific goal. If you graduated with a general degree and aren’t sure how it relates, no problem. Approach this first job through a self-exploratory lens to help you better understand your likes and dislikes. Find out what duties and responsibilities you gravitate towards. Working on short-term assignments is a great way to get a variety of experiences, and once you’ve figured out your niche, you can use this knowledge to assure employers that you know what you’re looking for. Employers are much more interested in real-world applications versus theories, so if your goal is to get as much experience in your field as possible, find a role that gives you a wide range of exposure.
2. Don’t commit to more education before mapping out a career plan.
Hold off an investing in more higher education until you’ve done your vetting. Believe it or not, your major doesn’t always translate into the dream job you envisioned in college, so it’s best to clock some time in before committing to more years of school. Once you’ve done that, write down your goals, and be honest: is a higher degree required in order to take you to your final destination or could you get there sooner with online courses, night classes, or specialized certifications? Then and only then does the university of your choice deserve your money.
3. Seek out experts to guide your career journey, not mom and dad.
Despite their best intentions, family and friends make bad career counselors. Forget the fact that most people are unaware of the vast movement in job creation today. Your parents are most likely traditionalists who are still driving “doctor,” “lawyer,” or “teacher” into your mind. And because they want what’s best for you, their advice comes from a place of emotion rather than logic, which means it’s completely biased. Do some research, get on LinkedIn, and start networking. Find experts and thought leaders in your field, and ask how they achieved their success. They’ll guide you through the process and help you grow your professional network. Get your resume out to various employment agencies in your area, and, if you’re eager to see some results, try a career coach for a more personal, hands-on experience.
4. Rely on science rather than intuition.
Career assessments are incredible tools for answering the “I don’t know how my skills, experiences, and behaviors are relevant in the business world” problem. I know what you’re probably thinking – “Isn’t that the stupid questionnaire I took in high school that told me I’d be a great mechanical engineer or bus driver?” There are some incredible behavioral assessments out their backed by researched-to-death data that employers use on their candidates in order to make better hiring decisions. Our favorite is made by TTI Success Insights. It uses your basic human tendencies, such as how you communicate with others and what motivates you in life to tell you which work environments and occupations you’re best suited for. These underrated tools have been instrumental in my success in helping new grads find their career passions and land entry-level positions they love.
5. Think “specialty.”
The more you can acquire in-demand skills, the more marketable you become in the talent world. Go on Indeed.com to find out what specialty jobs are related to your desired field and are located in your area. Take note of the amount of entry-level positions available. You’ll want to see a high number since that signifies a talent shortage. Look at the job descriptions, and build the skills you need for that level. My daughter did this by working in one department of human resources while volunteering in another. This catapulted her career by an entire workforce level because of her diverse experience at such a young age.
6. Consider these in-demand occupations.
Forbes just released The 10 Most Promising Jobs of 2015, based on stats courtesy of Glassdoor, and none of them include doctor, lawyer, and teacher. Instead, Physician’s Assistant, Software Engineer, and Marketing Manager were some of the highly-touted roles. Be open-minded to new opportunities, research all the new and exciting jobs out there, and talk to people on the front lines. Believe me, your background is much more pliable than you think.
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We are all seeking that one true love, the soulmate who we will spend the rest of our lives with. But, this is something that can leave one searching for their entire life, and they will never know true love. In fact, many people end up marrying someone that they aren’t completely in love with, in order to feel like they are accomplishing what they should in life. Sadly, these are often the marriages that end up in divorce. It doesn’t have to be like this. At least, not if you understand the difference between a soulmate and someone you want to have a great relationship with.
American writer Richard Bach said, “A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise.”
One Person’s Story
I met and married my first husband, thinking that I had found my soulmate, and that “until death do us part” was something we both believed in. At least I thought we did, until he decided that he wanted a divorce. So much for being soulmates. Then, after several years of being single, I met another man who I decided to marry. Everyone kept asking if he was “the one”, the person who would be my soulmate. At this point, I wasn’t looking for a soulmate. I was looking for someone would love me and care for me. Eight years later, we are still in that same loving relationship, and we continue to grow together. I may not have considered him a soulmate, but he is someone who I plan on spending the rest of my life with.
Who is Your Soulmate?
Your romantic partner doesn’t necessarily have to be your soulmate. In fact, it could be one of your best friends who is actually your soulmate or soul companion. For instance, you may have a friend who you confide all of your deepest secrets to, someone that you can’t live without in your life. You may not necessarily have a romantic interest in this person, but you do have a deep connection that is going to stay with you for life. Your soulmate is someone who you can relate to, who you care for and want the best for, and they feel the same for you. But, your soulmate is not a person who contributes to your sadness. This is not someone who is going to be your lifelong companion.
Marriage = Work
Just because you haven’t married your soulmate, it doesn’t mean that your marriage isn’t worth working on. You can have a perfectly wonderful marriage without being with that one soul companion you think you are supposed to be with. But, a great marriage isn’t something that just happens. Both of you need to continuously work at it. You also need time apart, to do your own things. You don’t have to be glued together at the hips in order to make your marriage work. In fact, having your own separate activities can help to bring you closer together, because you are able to see that you work as a couple no matter what activities you love. In fact, when you do things separately, you are able to see things more clearly, and your time together is that much more wonderful.
Featured photo credit: Spenser via flickr.com
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I cannot imagine my life without music. I wake up to the sounds of my favorite tunes each morning, work out, travel my commute listening to music and work with my headphones on most of the time, and I just can’t count how many significant moments in my life are deeply connected with a certain song.
If you are, at the very least, even a tiny bit passionate about music, I bet the next 15 music apps will instantly become your favorites!
1. Musicovery
Musicovery is an awesome app that enables you to personalize and adjust your playlists according to your mood with just a few clicks. After synchronizing the app for the first time, you’ll constantly have offline access to top recommended songs from the website, along with your phone library.
Open the mood pad and roll your finger to start playing the samples. If you are satisfied, just lift your finger and a playlist will be generated from the last song rolled over. Also, the app automatically adjusts your playlist by analyzing genres, decades, moods you’ve chosen and your interactions with the app – e.g. “I like/I don’t like” ratings and skipped songs.
So far, Musicovery proved to give the best customized playlist for me.
iOS (free) and Android (free)
2. MP3 Downloader for SoundCloud
This nifty app developed by Freemake lets you download tunes from SoundCloud onto your device without any copyright breaches. You can browse through numerous lists, search your favorite beats and singers offline and have the music steaming without wi-fi.
Plus, the app has lovely visual design with big album covers on display and easy navigation with loads of filters to apply when searching for a particular song.
Android version is planned to be released later this year.
iOS (free)
3. Top 100 Best Songs by Year
Get a musical time machine installed on your iPhone! This app has a huge database of some 1000 best songs from 1960 till the present days, so you could mix up your playlists with good old-time favorites and trendy new tunes.
All of the collections are easy-to-navigate with numerous filters available. Besides, the built-in search will help you find top songs from a specific year, decade or genre. This app is my go-to for planning themed music parties!
Available both for the iPhone and iPad, but for now, not Android.
iOS (free)
4. Autovolume
All running enthusiasts know how inconvenient it is to be tapping the volume key all the time, according to your listening environment. It gets even more annoying while driving, as your hands are busy.
The Autovolume app solves this problem by automatically correcting the volume based on the data from built-in speed and motion sensors.
Also, this app features a number of pre-set sound adaptation modes based on the activities you do – skiing, working out, driving, jogging etc making it my go-to app for sports!
Available for Iphone only as of now.
iOS ($1.99)
5. Relax Melodies
Have you been felling stressed lately? Trouble sleeping? Use this handy app by Ipnos Soft to create unique relaxing tunes from a set of beautiful and tranquil Zen sounds like rain drops, ocean waves, nature ambient sounds and more.
Also, you can take your favorite tunes from the library and blend them up with the in-app sounds to create highly-personalized unwinding melodies. Compile them into easy-to-search lists like “songs to fall asleep to” or “the calm down playlist,” filled with your personal sounds or those made by other users from the community.
Currently there are some 100.000 sounds to choose from, and like me, I bet you will find (or create) the perfect tune to make you fall asleep instantly!
iOS (free) and Android (free)
6. sir Sampleton
At first glance, it may seem like a simple kids’ app with a keyboard, but sir Sampleton is way more sophisticated than that! The app has numerous cool features to record and twist the melodies you’ve just tapped, including adding vibrato, professional mixing beats and saving your songs.
Equally fun to use for both novice musicians, and for more professional beat makers to get their groove on!
Currently not available on the Android market.
iOS ($2.99)
7. TuneWiki
Have you ever misheard some weird phrases in songs and couldn’t figure out what the hack was being said? With TuneWiki, you’ll never find yourself off base again when mumbling your favorite song! The app features both a radio player and lyrics decoder, along with a huge array of music to pick from.
And with one click, it syncs with your iTunes library. Yet the best feature is that you can launch a song search based on just one line you know!
iOS (free) and Android (free)
8. Nowplaying
This is a cool social music app that identifies tunes playing on your phone or a nearby device and auto-shares them on Twitter, Facebook or Foursquare along with your location, picture or a Youtube video. With the main principle of this app being “sharing is caring”, you’ll get special badges and rewards each time you share anything with the official hashtag #nwplyng!
Arguably the best music app to exchange songs and moods with your friends, as it’s very simple to use and has a great collection of free songs and numerous subscription options available. It also allows you to categorize your favorites into separate lists and discover new artists from the huge database available.
iOS (free) and Android (free)
9. 8Tracks
This is yet another amazing social music app that you can use to create, curate and discover playlists for each mood and occasion – energetic morning workout, romantic dinner date or just a relaxing tune for your bedroom. The pleasant design with huge album covers, a list of featured playlists and numerous search options, including search by mood, make this app particularly stand out from the crowd.
8Tracks currently has over 2 million playlists created by the community, so no matter how elaborate your preferences are – cape-jazz, k-pop, opera or new age – you’ll still be able to connect with folks who have similarly awesome tastes and grab their playlists!
iOS (free) and Android (free)
10. iHeartRadio
Sleek minimalist design, a huge variety of stations from college rock to reggae and great customization options make IHeartRadio worth a download. Absolutely free of charge, you can live steam any given radio station (of more than 750) or make a personalized play list of some 18.000 songs listed in the library.
Also, you can listen to the latest news feeds, educational and scientific programs and much more content you wouldn’t find in any other app.
Not sure which song to pick today? The app can pre-suggest to you a station based on your activity, like driving, working out in the gym or jogging. Currently available for numerous platforms including Windows Phone, Blackberry and Kindle Fire, plus as a browser app.
IOS (free) and Android (free).
11. DjRun
This is another amazing app that all jogging geeks will love! DjRun will analyze all the songs from your library and match their beats per minute rate with your stride, or even adapt the playback tempo like a real DJ.
As the app uses your phone’s accelerometer, it can instantly adapt to your pace to matter which activity you are now into – skating, hiking, skiing or even gliding.
Currently the app supports three modes:
1. Auto – picks a song based on your current stride rate.
2. Pin – fixes your stride rate at the number you want.
3. Training mode – the stride rate will follow a predefined profile set by the user or taken from the app.
Android (free)
12. Karaoke Anywhere
Ok, admit it, even if you don’t have a sweet voice, you still love singing out loud your favorite songs. At least, at home anyway. Karaoke Anywhere lets you choose your tune of today from a free library of 10,000 songs.
Plus, if that’s not enough, you can purchase an extra 40,000 songs. Lovely design, huge beautiful lyrics and high-quality background music – what else would you wish for in a karaoke app?
iOS (free) and Android (free)
13. Mono
Mono is an amazing new music discovery app merging together an artist browser, music discovery engine, concert finder and playlist engine with friend sharing and much more! I love the clean simple designs and the ability to sync my music from various channels including SoundCloud, YouTube music files and Subsonic.
For now, available on Android only.
Android (free, but with a yearly subscription of $0.99 to get unlimited access to all features)
14. Chordmaster
Everyone who love playing the guitar (or just learning) should have this app on their phone. For $.99, you get unlimited access to some 7,800 guitar chords, along with a beautiful visualization of all notes and fingerings on a virtual fretboard.
By merely tapping the screen, you can view the selected chord at any position up and down the guitar neck – a handy feature for beginners. Also, you can strum the virtual strings to play and hear each chord and compare with your own results.
All the chords are neatly categorized in Root, Chord Type and Chord Variants, making them easy to search and save. However, the best feature Chordmaster introduced is the “lefty mode” that displays left-handed guitar diagrams that rarerly could be wound elsewhere.
Currently available for Iphone, Ipad and Ipod touch only.
iOS ($.99)
15. Musyc
A gorgeous, graphical musical app, crafted by Fingerlab, where you can create music with your own touch. Get into your zen state by bouncing peculiar colorful shapes around the screen and producing the sounds of 88 instruments!
It’s a harmonious and tranquil game you would likely love playing more than the highly-addictive and seemingly never ending Candy Crush. Currently, Iphone only with an Android version soon to be launched.
iOS (free)
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I grew up in a household where people held their emotions in. I felt ashamed to be such a highly sensitive person but have learnt through the years that there are some incredible traits that go along with it. Maybe as highly sensitive people, we easily feel pain but we also feel a heightened sense of joy and pleasure. We let it all into us and absorb the good, the bad and the ugly. It takes courage to stay sensitive and serves others much more than you’d probably even realize. There are a lot of us out there too: between 15-20% of the population shares this trait. Embrace everything that it is to be a highly sensitive person because it goes deeper than crying at a sad commercial!
1. You Are Highly Sensitive to Other’s Emotions
You are easily able to tell if something is wrong with someone else even if they try to hide it. It’s almost like a super hero power. You have the opportunity to help people open up by bringing what is obvious to you out into the open. This is something people that are less sensitive can’t do. This makes you one of the best kind of friends to have.
2. You Are Highly Sensitive to Your Surroundings
If there were any danger around, you would likely be the first to know. You can sense what is around you at all times and while this may be overwhelming, you are always in tune with what’s happening around you. You notice things that others may not, such as a lady bug climbing up a flower stem or a special moment between two random people. You see many beautiful things as you observe the world in all of its detail.
3. Criticism Pushes You to Improve
Often highly sensitive people are natural people-pleasers which means any criticism thrown at you could becomes fuel to really change. It’s not easy for a sensitive person to hear that they aren’t doing something correct. This often motivates you to stop doing that action that may be offending someone. You are flexible and it’s easy for you to evolve with whatever negative feedback you receive.
4. You Have Deeply Felt Emotions
While a highly sensitive person may feel badly much more easily than others, you also have the capacity to feel wonderful. I always equate the opposite of this to a turtle and his shell. He keeps danger out but he also hides himself from the good stuff. You, on the other hand, feel ultimate joy, bliss and peace. You can’t help but feel so you don’t ignore your emotions. If you’re sad, you let it out. If you’re happy, you laugh until your stomach hurts. You don’t suffer from illness or the bad side effects of holding emotions in all the time.
5. You Have Good Manners
A highly sensitive person remembers their please and thank you’s because it means so much to you. It’s a naturally wonderful trait that you have as a sensitive person, to be sensitive to others around them.
6. You Have a Creative Mind
A highly sensitive person has highly developed senses which often result in an ability to appreciate art, music and culture. You are easily moved and emotionally touched by creative messages, and are often creative yourself in some way.
7. You Are In Touch With Your Emotions
As a highly sensitive person, you let your emotions show as they arrive within. Perhaps on a deeper level, this alleviates stress and anxiety within the body as you release your emotions. This should never be considered a weakness as it takes courage to look at your feelings and deal with them. There may be some that judge you for crying in public. It may make them uncomfortable because it’s something they are unable to do and probably wish they could.
In conclusion, embrace your sensitive self because it really does take courage and it’s a natural trait, there is no weakness in it. Denying yourself of the true person you are only makes life more difficult and holding things in is almost impossible anyway. Cry when you need to and laugh just as much – be who you are!
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Sig Nordal 