How to make sure your food never gets freezer burn again – CNET

Meat patties with freezer burn.

Alina Bradford/CNET

It’s so disappointing when you pull a steak out of the freezer and it’s covered with a solid inch of ice, the meat is all discolored and it looks something like a dog toy. Don’t let this happen ever again. You can protect your meats and other frozen food items with proper storage.

Lock it up tight

Freezer burn happens when water molecules in food migrate to the coldest place in the freezer. Typically, the coldest areas are the walls of the freezer, according to the Library of Congress. If your food isn’t wrapped up properly, the water molecules leave your food and go elsewhere, leaving the food dry. Oxygen can also turn your food funny colors and change the taste.

So, to keep your food moist and air-free you need to seal it inside a container as tightly as possible. A vacuum sealing storage system is ideal, but if you don’t have one you can get similar results with a zipping freezer bag.

First, put your food item in the bottom of the bag. Next, close the bag until there is an opening at the top that’s only around ¼ inch wide. Press all of the air out of the bag and then quickly zip it shut the rest of the way.

If you decide to store food in a container, make sure that the container is filled to the top or as closely to the top as possible. If your freezable container has a plastic lid, hold one edge of the lid up slightly and press down on the rest of the lid to release any air that may be trapped in the container. Quickly seal the lid while pressing down to prevent air from reentering the container.

Don’t leave it in too long

You can’t leave food in the freezer indefinitely. No matter how well you package your foods, it will get freezer burn after extended periods of time in the freezer. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers a chart that can be printed and posted on your freezer door to help you keep track of freezing times. Don’t know when you stuck something in the freezer? Next time, write the day’s date on the storage bag with a permanent marker.

15 foods you should never put in the freezer

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LG G5 always on display teaser does the rounds

For the longest time, LG‘s flagship smartphones have played second (or third, or fourth) fiddle to Samsung’s Galaxy S devices, but have always been very impressive in their own right. In particular, LG always tries to incorporate little features that might differentiate it from its competitors. For its next device, this is manifesting as the LG G5 always on display, and a teaser gif was posted from LG’s official Facebook account earlier today:

As you might imagine, an “Always ON” feature would allow the device to keep notification and time information on the screen with minimal battery power which is possible thanks to OLED technology (lighting up part of the screen while keeping the rest off). We’ve seen iterations of this like the Active Display on Motorola devices, which lights up the display when the device is picked up, but none have tried to keep the display on constantly due to battery concerns.

Whether this means LG has a sufficiently large battery in its LG G5 remains to be seen, but the Korean outfit presumably thinks they’re on to something with this latest gimmick. Thankfully we’ll only have to wait till the 21st to find out all about their new device.

What do you think about the LG G5 always on display? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Facebook via The Verge

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Final Fantasy IX for Android is out now, 20% off for its first week on sale

We knew Final Fantasy IX for Android would be releasing soon based on the state it was in for a livestream we saw last month, but we didn’t expect it this soon. Not two months after announcing that it was coming soon, Square Enix has released what is widely accepted to be one of the best games in the Final Fantasy – and it’s carrying a predictably hefty price tag. While the game is 20% between February 10th and 21st, making it $16.99 USD, it will nominally sit around $21 USD – so you should probably make use of this discounted period if you’re a fan of the game.

Although, given how beloved the game is, Final Fantasy IX for Android probably won’t have any issues selling. And for those of you thinking that this is just another port of a previously loved game, you may be surprised to hear that the game appears to have been lovingly restored and improved with better rendering and higher definition models. Note though that if you are going to bite the bullet and purchase, be sure to have a lot of storage space available as the game takes up to 4GB – those new textures have to go somewhere!FINAL FANTASY IX for Android (Playboard) | FINAL FANTASY IX for Android (Play Store)

What do you think about Final Fantasy IX for Android? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Droid-life

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Samsung Galaxy S7 edge press render leaks out thanks to @evleaks

At some point, you get the sense that Android smartphone manufacturers just accept that leaks are just a fact of life. That must be the case at Samsung right now as details of its flagship smartphones are being leaked out left, right and centre. A few days ago we got a look at the wallpapers that are going to come with the Samsung Galaxy S7 devices, and today (thanks to leaker @evleaks) we’re getting a Samsung Galaxy S7 edge press render that again confirms the design that Samsung is going with this year.

In case you haven’t seen anything about the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge yet, just imagine the Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 edge, and round off the edges just a bit – and you’re pretty much all the way there. There are very little differences in the overall design for this year’s iteration, but you can bet that all the major changes are in the software – and it’s rumoured that Samsung has had some help making its software more efficient. Whatever these changes are, we’ll have to wait till Feb 21st when Samsung will be making their announcement at MWC 2016 – or you know, if we wait another day, we’ll probably get a few more details.

What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge press render? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Twitter via Android Authority

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Alto’s Adventure for Android is out now for free

Alto’s Adventure is a name that has circulated the Internet for a year now, but unfortunately the hugely popular mobile game has only been available on iOS. Thankfully, today that exclusivity disappears as Alto’s Adventure for Android is delivered from one of our favourites, Noodlecake Studios. If you haven’t heard of Alto’s Adventures, you adopt the persona of Alto as you snowboard through and endless 2D landscapes filled with pristine villages, ruins and all-round beautiful nature. You’ll be assigned tasks, like chasing llamas and leaping over canyons as you try to get the best score for each stage, though while the game has lots to offer in terms of gameplay, it’s undoubtedly the minimal graphics that are the star of the show.

For better or worse, the game is also completely free to download and play, but that of course means that the game contains in-app purchases – whether that ruins the experience for you depends what side of the fence you sit on, but the large number of reviews both on iOS and Android seem to suggest you should at least try this one. If you’re convinced, we’ve got the Play Store link to Alto’s Adventure for Android down below:Alto’s Adventure (Playboard) | Alto’s Adventure (Play Store)

What do you think about Alto’s Adventure? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Droid-life

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Standalone Google VR headset is also being worked on behind the scenes

There have been quite a few rumours floating around the past few weeks that relate to Google working on a VR headset that would rival the Samsung Gear VR in the marketplace. While that VR headset would require a surrogate smartphone to work, a new report has suggested that a standalone Google VR headset is also being worked on within the walls at Google’s HQ.

While this means that Google is working on two separate VR headsets at the same time, the two couldn’t be on more different timelines. While the headset that uses smartphones is said to be releasing in 2016, with a possible cameo at Google I/O possible, the standalone headset has a less defined timeline, with some sources saying 2016 is a possibility, with another saying that the standalone project is still very much in its early development days.

If true, that is pretty big news for the virtual reality industry as Google’s significant global presence could really push VR into the mainstream, particularly if its VR headsets are built with the Nexus device mentality. Still, it sounds like we’ll have to wait until Google I/O to at least get a better idea of what’s going on, but something tells us we could be in for a treat.

What do you think about a standalone Google VR headset? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Wall Street Journal via engadget

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GTA: Liberty City Stories is out now, 40% off for a limited time

For Rockstar Games, the mobile gaming revolution has been a great time to dig out all its last-gen games (or in some cases last-last-gen) and repackage them for mobile platforms – and let’s be honest: it’s a win-win situation. The next game on Rockstar’s list of revivals is GTA: Liberty City Stories, which was originally released in 2005 on the Playstation Portable. For those aren’t experiencing a nostalgia trip, GTA: Liberty City Stories sees you take control of Toni Cipriani, who once worked for the Leone family. Liberty City is now in a bad state, with warring families, organized crime, and corrupt politicians all making it difficult for Cipriani in his quest to get the Leone family control of the city.

Rockstar says that it has streamlined the whole mobile experience with shortened missions, better controls and updated graphics, much like Rockstar’s previous efforts when reviving its older games. For a limited time, starting from today’s launch, GTA: Liberty City Stories is going to be 40% off, making it $3.99 USD during this discounted period – not a bad deal for a feature length game, and probably well worth the nostalgia. If you’re hankering for a trip back to Liberty City, we’ve got the Play Store link for you down below:GTA: Liberty City Stories (Playboard) | GTA: Liberty City Stories (Play Store)

What do you think about GTA: Liberty City Stories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Droid-life

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More Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge renders join the party

If the new Samsung flagship smartphones are supposed to be a secret, obviously nobody told Samsung because there are leaks coming out thick and fast. The latest set of leaks comes again from leaker @evleaks who comes to us with a set of Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge renders, shown in a variety of very nice colours. The S7 Edge (below) is shown in silver, black and gold, whereas the S7 (above) is shown in only black and gold – we’re assuming the two devices will be available in the same number of colours though.

Clearly, there’s not a whole lot that’s different between last year’s S6 and this year’s S7, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Naturally, most of the changes will be on the inside and presumably we’ll find out all about that in a week’s time at MWC 2016. According to sources, pre-orders for both the S7 and S7 edge are going to open the day that they are announced and that shipping will commence from March 11th – so start preparing your wallets if this looks like your cup of tea.

What do you think about these Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge renders? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Twitter (1), (2) via SamMobile

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Picasa is shutting down in favour of Google Photos

Many of you will know the name Picasa as a place to store photos and many of you will have used it for many years. Unfortunately, that run is going to come to an end as Picasa is shutting down and Google focuses its development on Google Photos. While this will be a big inconvenience for some, Google understands that some people have put blood and sweat into their Picasa curations:

“We know for many of you, a great deal of care has gone into managing your photos and videos using Picasa—including the hours you’ve invested and the most precious moments you’ve trusted us with. So we will take some time in order to do this right and provide you with options and easy ways to access your content.”

So easy in fact that if you log into Google Photos right now, all your photos and videos from Picasa will already be there. If, however, you still want access to the tags, captions and comments you’ve accumulated on Picasa, Google will soon provide a way for you to keep these. You still have time to say your goodbyes though, as Google will only start the shutdown process on May 1st, 2016. Note that the Picasa desktop app is also going to have its support terminated from May 15th, 2016 – naturally, there is a Google Photos version should you choose to go down that path (and let’s be honest, you probably should).

What do you think about Picasa shutting down? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Google Picasa Blog via Droid-life

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Android Monotune ad reminds us to “be together, not the same”

Google‘s most recent ad campaigns have centred around the phrase “be together, not the same”. It’s designed perhaps to instill a sense of comradely among the Android community, but most of all it describes the Android ecosystem perfectly – a harmonious group of manufacturers making and designing very similar devices that all have their own strengths and weaknesses. Google’s latest ad reaffirms this point in one of most pertinent and interesting ways possible – using a piano. Check out the Android Monotune ad down below:

The piano analogy presented in the video really drives home the point that Android is a platform that enables many things to work together to make something beautiful, instead of many of the same thing (*cough* Apple *cough*), and at some level, it’s probably a message about being harmonious with your fellow man, or at the very least, not hating on our least favourite Android manufacturers as much. Either way, it’s a wonderful way to get their point across, though we will point out that Google now has one hell of an expensive grand piano that can only play one note.

What do you think about the Android Monotone ad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: YouTube

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