Wednesday, February 4, 2015
What do Hennessy, Jack Daniels, and Everclear have in common? According to a rather fascinating new study, these three brands are especially popular with those teenage drinkers who get into booze-related fights.
In the new paper, researchers Sarah P. Roberts and colleagues of Boston say that some brands of alcohol are correlated with self-reported involvement in “alcohol related fights and injuries”, in a national sample of American underage drinkers (i.e. drinkers under the age of 21).
The relationship held true even after adjusting for factors such as gender, age, and overall quantity of alcohol consumed. Here’s a bar chart I created based on the adjusted odds ratios in Roberts et al.’s results. The higher the bar, the more strongly each drink was independently associated with reported involvement in alcohol-related violence.
Everclear 190 dominates the list, perhaps unsurprisingly given that this ‘drink’ is 95% pure alcohol (it’s banned in many states of the US.) I was very surprised to see Hennessy Cognac come in at #2, however. Here in the UK, cognac has an image as a refined, upper-class spirit. Here, Hennessy is seen as a drink more for middle-aged schoolteachers than for young delinquents. I guess it must be marketed differently in the USA.
Jack Daniels cocktails come in at #3 though the whiskey itself is ranked at #5.
Down at the bottom of the scale, Coors Light beer and Grey Goose vodka are if anything more popular among people who don’t get into fights than among people who do. However, these odds ratios did not significantly differ from 1.0, so the difference may be due to chance.
We also shouldn’t read too much into the differencesbetween any one drink and another, as these differences may not be significant. Bear in mind also that drinking and involvement in violence were bothself-reported variables.
Roberts et al. conclude by saying that
We cannot say with any certainty exactly which characteristics of these brands influence the nature and degree of alcohol-related consequences among youth. Clearly, this is an important area for future research.
Roberts SP, Siegel MB, DeJong W, Naimi TS, & Jernigan DH (2015). Brand Preferences of Underage Drinkers Who Report Alcohol-Related Fights and Injuries. Substance Use & Misuse PMID: 25612075
Hennessy, Everclear, And Alcohol-Related Violence
what Coca-Cola's low-fat, low-sugar, high-protein milk tastes like
Massive Worldwide Layoff Underway At IBM
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Nexus 6 Is Suffering From ‘Real Issues,’ Google Executive Reveals Shocking Deets!
Screenshots from a Reddit user reveal that messaging app WhatsApp is ready to introduce the long awaited calling feature to its Android app. Based on the images posted by pradnesh07, WhatsApp plans on using an invitation system where one user with the feature places a voice call to another WhatsApp user, and the latter is then able to make voice calls using the app. In addition to adding support for voice calls, the update brings the Material Design look to WhatsApp.
calling feature in place Screenshots from new WhatsApp UI show calling feature in place
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Google Nexus 5 owners have complained about various bugs involving WiFi connections, network connections, unauthorized restarts and faulty performance. These problems were addressed in the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update for the Nexus 5, but a lot of users are still sending in reports of serious problems such as an issue with battery life. Nexus 5 battery drain on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop can be caused by third party apps lacking the proper updates. One solution for this is to start your device in safe mode and check to see if the battery drain issue persists any further. If this doesn’t work, then it is advised to sort through your third party apps one at a time and find which ones may be causing the underlying problem. Monitoring your app by checking your battery information section in your nexus 5’s settings can also help you see which apps is using the most power from your battery life. Another reason for any battery drain issues could be the software itself, in this case there isn’t anything you can really do.
Google Nexus 5 Battery Drain Issue on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop SolvedRead more:
Friday, January 30, 2015
We've talked before about the things every computer user should know how to do, but we geeks are special: we want to go above and beyond, to explore every nook and cranny of our system and make everything easier. Here are ten ways to do just that.
10. Find New Uses for the Programs You Already Have
Chances are, you've probably already found a few awesome tools and added them to your productivity arsenal, but most programs can be used for more than just their inteded purpose. The file-syncing Dropbox, for example, is also great for monitoring your home computer, printing files from afar, and even downloading stuff with BitTorrent. Savvy folks can use Gmail to store files in the cloud or find out if someone's stolen your laptop. Any tool can become multipurpose if you know its ins and outs.
9. Use the Command Line Like a Ninja
Using the command line isn't as exciting as it looks in the movies, but it can be a very useful tool (in fact, some tools are just better in the command line). It's pretty easy to learn, too-check out our command line primer for beginners to learn some basic commands. Once you've got that down, read up on the best shortcuts that help you navigate the command line like a ninja. Those guides apply to UNIX-based systems like Linux and OS X, but if you're a Windows user you can grab something like Cygwin to get a similar experience (or, if you want a more Windows-centric tool, try Powershell).
8. Read and Understand Your Resource Usage
When your computer starts acting a little slow, a lot of people jump to their resource monitor to see what's causing problems. However, just looking at a bunch of charts and graphs isn't going to tell you what's wrong unless you really know what you're looking for. High CPU is a common problem with one app slowing your system down, and as soon as you close it, the issue should go away. High network activity could be the cause of slow internet or slow file transfers over the network. RAM usage, however, is where a lot of people get thrown off: high RAM usage isn't inherently a bad thing. Know the difference between good and bad RAM usage before you start blaming processes. If you want to keep an eye on your resources, check out our favorite system monitors for Windows, Mac, and Linux, too.
7. Run Everything on a Schedule
Stop performing all that system maintenance yourself and set it all up to run on a schedule. With Windows' built-in Task Scheduler, you can run just about any kind of task-whether it's maintenance, picture uploads, or even a simple alarm-through Windows' built-in tools (in fact, it's one of the best Windows 7 features you've probably forgotten about). Mac users looking for something similar should check out Tasks Till Dawn.
6. Know Your OS's Hidden Features
Every operating system has hidden things lying under the hood, you just have to know where to look. Windows users should check out the hidden features of Windows 7 and Windows 8, while Mac users should peruse the hidden features of OS X Lion and Mountain Lion. If you want to find even more, you can often find them in Windows' Registry or in OS X's terminal. System tweakers like Ultimate Windows Tweaker, OnyX for Mac, and Ubuntu Tweak are also great places to find secret features.
5. Learn to Crack Passwords (and Protect Yourself)
Everyone should know how to create a secure password, but responsible geeks can take it a step further by learning how to break into a comptuer. This skill-whether used on a Windows machine or a Mac-can really help you understand how computer thieves and hackers will try to get at your data. Learning the process means you know how to protect yourself against the process-not just with strong passwords but with encryption and other settings tweaks that keep thieves out. Similarly, you may also want to learn how to crack a Wi-Fi network's WEP and WPA password.
4. Navigate Everything With Your Keyboard
There are certain basic keyboard shortcuts everyone should know, but if you really want to use your computer more efficiently, you can take it so much further. Learn the most common shortcuts for your favorite programs, like Gmail, Microsoft Word, basic text boxes, and even Facebook. After a little while, you'll be able to blow through menus and text boxes with unbelievable speed. Check out our guide to becoming a keyboard ninja, complete with a bunch of cheat sheets to help get you off the ground.
3. Run a Basic Linux Distribution
Even if you don't want to switch operating systems, knowing a few Linux basics can be really handy. With a live CD on hand you can troubleshoot your machine, revive an old, slow PC, and make your way through Linux-based DIY projects. Check out our five-part guide to getting started with Linux, and be careful-it can be quite the rabbit hole once you get into it!
2. Squeeze More Power Out of Your Hardware
With a bit of tweaking, you can push your hardware past its original limits and get some pretty serious bang for your buck. When it comes to your PC, you can overclock your processor and video card, and even install OS X on non-Macs by building a Hackintosh. And, while you're at it-even though it isn't a computer trick specifically-you should try turning your $60 router into a $600 router with DD-WRT.
1. Program Your Own Dead Simple Scripts
You don't need to learn an entire programming language to write advanced scripts. Windows users can do a ton of awesome stuff with AutoHotkey, from creating simple keyboard shortcuts to controlling their PC remotely. To get started, just check our beginner's guide to AutoHotkey and our list of the best AutoHotkey tricks. Mac users don't have anything quite like AutoHotkey, but you can do quite a bit with the built-in, insanely easy-to-learn AppleScript. If you aren't the coding type, check out Automator on the Mac and its clone, Actions on Windows
When all is said and done, this is probably way more than 10 tricks, but if you don't know any of the above, they should keep you busy for awhile. If you have an idea we didn't list, be sure to mention it in the comments below.
Top 10 Computer Tricks Every Geek Should Know
Windows 10 phone preview,
The final release of Windows 10 is still months and months away, but Microsoft is happy to give users eager for a preview an early look at the operating system. The PC preview has been out for a while now, and for the past few weeks we’ve been anticipating the start of a similar preview for phones. Earlier this month Microsoft started prepping for it release by publishing its Phone Insider app, and at the Windows 10 event last week, the company confirmed its intention to make that preview available in February. As we approach that release, Microsoft is updating the Insider app, giving it a new name and preparing us for some of the first limitations of Windows 10.
Instead of Phone Insider, the app is now Windows Insider, a fitting change considering how Microsoft’s dropping the Windows Phone brand with the release of Windows 10. We also see the arrival of an option to sign in with your Microsoft account, though until the preview goes live for the public, that won’t do you much good.
We also see mention of minimum system requirements for installation of the preview, but we don’t yet know exactly what those will entail. That restriction shouldn’t be too surprising, consideringMicrosoft’s recent clarification that not all Windows Phone 8.1 models will see the arrival of complete Windows 10 updates. Really, we’re most interested right now in hearing the specifics of which kinds of devices won’t be able to run the preview, to give us a heads-up for what to expect in regards to compatibility when formal Windows 10 updates roll around.
Microsoft updates Insider app in advance of Windows 10 phone preview, hints at hardware requirements
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Digitally speaking, we're not even plodding along yet.
Why, AT&T is throttling my data this month and my phone still won't work too well in half of California's Wine Country.
However, Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, is very well connected to the future. And he'd like you to know that the pesky Internet thing will soon be a digital dodo.
I know this because today he said: "The Internet will disappear." As the Hollywood Reporter offers, Schmidt was schmoozing and strategizing with the hive mind of world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
He made a few more brushstrokes to contribute to his picture of Futureworld: "There will be so many IP addresses (...) so many devices, sensors, things that you are wearing, things that you are interacting with that you won't even sense it."
Surely you will sense it, because you'll find this magical at-oneness with the digital world far more interesting than, say, the humans in a room who are also finding their own magical at-oneness with the digital world.
Schmidt explained: "It will be part of your presence all the time. Imagine you walk into a room, and the room is dynamic. And with your permission and all of that, you are interacting with the things going on in the room."
Permit me a dynamic guffaw at the mention of permission. Humanity has long ago bared its chest and dropped its trousers, merely for the opportunity to post images of its tanned toenails and to buy some strawberry-flavored toothpaste.
Just to underline this, the Davos forum also heard from Harvard professor of computer science, Margo Seltzer. The AFP reported two of her more charming statements.
First: "We live in a surveillance state today." Second: "We are at the dawn of the age of genetic McCarthyism."
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This latter thought portends a world, she said, where tiny drones are flying through the air checking you for a pox of one kind or another. On behalf of, say, your health insurance company.
All for the greater good, you understand.
Yesterday, with its HoloLens, Microsoft showed one small step toward walking into its version of a dynamic room. Most who saw it found it exciting.
For Schmidt, the idea of a dynamic world represents "a highly personalized, highly interactive and very, very interesting world."
Of course we'll rush headlong into it because there'll be so much excitement along the way. There'll be fun and marveling to be had.
We should look forward to it. We'll all be robots after all, programmed to marvel at just the right things.





