Make your own Magic Eraser for 10 cents – CNET
Taylor Martin/CNET
Whenever I need to deep clean anything around the house, I usually grab a pack of Magic Erasers. They’re known for their effectiveness — they’re great at getting rid of stains or cleaning things other sponges or cleaners can’t.
However, even at just roughly $1 (£0.69 or AU$1.37) each, they’re not exactly cheap, as they completely break down and fall apart after just a few minutes of tough cleaning. You can go through an entire four-pack without leaving your kitchen or bathroom if it’s been a while since you last deep cleaned.
So if you’re tired of dropping a buck every time you want to clean something in your home, there’s an even cheaper way to use Magic Erasers. Make your own.
No magic required — it’s just a sponge
Mr. Clean would have you believe they poured tons of money and time into research and development to create special sponges specifically for cleaning. The truth is, Magic Erasers are just tiny rectangular pieces of melamine foam with a cleaning agent inside.
That said, it’s not the cleaning agent that makes them so effective, it’s the material. A melamine sponge is more dense than your average cleaning sponge and its tiny pores make it a light abrasive, not unlike that of an extra fine sheet of sandpaper.
The best part is, you can find melamine sponges — very similar to those that Mr. Clean uses — on eBay and other online stores in bulk. I ordered a pack of 100 for just $7.99 (£5.53 or AU$10.92) shipped. They’re a tad smaller than the real deal, but I bought 100 for the price of an eight-pack.
Taylor Martin/CNET
How to make a Magic Eraser
Once you’ve received the sponges and you’re ready to clean again, you’re going to need a cleaning solution. The solution I tested and used comes from Heather Schisler’s blog Passion for Savings, which requires two common cleaning solutions: borax and baking soda. And you only need a tiny bit of each.
Taylor Martin/CNET
Here’s how to prep your sponges for cleaning.
- Heat up some water. For a single sponge, 1/2 cup (118 milliliters) will be plenty.
- Add 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of Borax and 1 tablespoon (15g) of baking soda to a bowl. Add the water to the mixture and stir.
- Place a sponge in the bowl and allow it to soak up the solution.
- Squeeze out some of the excess and begin scrubbing.
Alternatively, you can wet the sponge with a small amount of water and pour the borax and baking soda solution into a spray bottle to spot clean.
You now have 100 DIY Magic Erasers at your disposal that cost you approximately $0.10 (£0.07 or AU$0.14) each to make. Like the real Magic Erasers, these won’t last very long, but being just a fraction of the price definitely makes them more tolerable.
Mark Zuckerberg chimes in on Facebook’s trending topics
The swirling debate over how Facebook chooses stories for its trending topics section — and whether it is muffling stories from politically conservative sources — refuses to go away, and now the company’s leader has spoken up. In a post on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg revealed that soon he will invite “leading conservatives and people from across the political spectrum” to talk things over. He says the site is building a platform for all ideas, and says the company has found no evidence that an anonymous report of bias in its process is true.
Source: Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook)
Apple invests $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi
In a bid to better understand China, Apple has announced a $1 billion investment in Chinese Uber-like service, Didi Chuxing. The country’s homegrown ride-hailing service already has plenty of cash, and was recently valued at over $25 billion. According to Reuters, it has 87 percent of the market of private car hailing across China. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the investment would help the company better understand the Chinese market — oh and it’s about cars.
“We are making the investment for a number of strategic reasons, including a chance to learn more about certain segments of the China market,” he said. “Of course, we believe it will deliver a strong return for our invested capital over time as well.” In case you forgot, Apple is also looking into cars, making several moves in auto technology — this could help in this regard. A major investment by Apple in a Chinese-based company could also help ameliorate the issues it’s had dealing with the country. Like this, this, or this.
The Chinese ride-hailing firm said it was the biggest single investment it’s ever received. Didi itself is the result of China’s two biggest ride-hailing services, Didi and Kuaidi, merging together. The company has also invested in Lyft.
Source: Reuters
Apple Invests $1 Billion in Chinese Ride-Sharing Company Didi Chuxing
Apple has invested $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing company and Uber competitor Didi Chuxing, reports Reuters. The move is a strategic investment that will help the Cupertino company better understand the Chinese market, CEO Tim Cook told Reuters.
“We are making the investment for a number of strategic reasons, including a chance to learn more about certain segments of the China market,” he said. “Of course, we believe it will deliver a strong return for our invested capital over time as well.”
Didi Chuxing, which has raised several billion dollars in funding, says the investment from Apple is the largest it’s ever received. Didi Chuxing dominates the ride-sharing market in China, completing more than 11 million rides a day and owning 87 percent of the market in the country.
Although Apple has hired many employees in recent months with automotive backgrounds, likely for its secretive Apple Car project codenamed Project Titan, Cook insists Apple is currently focused on the in-car experience. However, he did not deny what the future may have in store for a potential Apple Car. “That is what we do today in the car business,” he told Reuters. “So we will have to see what the future holds.”
Cook also used the deal to underline Apple’s confidence in the market, saying that it reflects the company’s “continued confidence in the long term in China’s economy.” Apple’s sales fell 26 percent in Greater China in the second quarter of 2016, causing Carl Icahn to sell his full stake in the company. Apple was also recently forced to take down its iTunes Movies and iBooks stores in the country. Cook will visit China and meet with government officials this month.
Related Roundup: Apple Car
Tags: China, Didi Chuxing
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BMW to launch ‘i Next’ autonomous electric car in 2021, says CEO
Gimme, gimme!
BMW is working on a luxury flagship based on its BMW i8 Roadster, a plug-in hybrid sports car. We know this because the company’s CEO revealed the news during a shareholding meeting. Harald Krueger said BMW’s upcoming autonomous car will be an electric vehicle called i Next. He also said that it will launch in 2021. Keep in mind several automakers have targeted the 2020s as a launch window for their self-driving automobiles.
Here’s what Krueger said, specifically:
“In 2018, we will launch a BMW i8 Roadster. This will be followed in 2021 by the BMW i NEXT, our new innovation driver, with autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight design, a totally new interior and ultimately bringing the next generation of electro-mobility to the road.”
The CEO didn’t provide any other details, but we can assume the i Next will also include some features from its Vision Next 100 concept. To commemorate its 100 years of existence earlier this year, BMW showed off a glimpse of the future of driving with the Vision Next 100 car. It’s a showcase of everything that is coming to BMW vehicles, including self-driving functionality and a smart-learning AI called Companion.
Materials on the Vision Next 100 ranged from carbon fibre for the shell to recycled or renewable fabrics for the inside, meaning the car is much more sustainable than existing cars that use materials like leather and wood. It’s unclear if BMW i Next will be more like the i8 Roadster or Vision Next 100, but one thing is for sure: BMW can go ahead and take our money now.
DrinkMate has your BAC: The smallest breathalyzer in the world
To best monitor your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), you need a device that’s simple and easy to use.
The DrinkMate Breathalyzer prides itself on being your reliable BAC-measuring assistant, plugging directly into your smartphone to determine your blood alcohol content with a custom-made, semiconductor-based sensor.
For a limited time, you can pick up the smallest breathalyzer in the world for just £20.79 ($30) from Pocket-lint Deals.
Designed entirely from scratch, DrinkMate is small enough to fit easily in your pocket or bag, and doesn’t require batteries. Just plug it into your iPhone or Android, and the app will launch immediately. You then blow into the end and your BAC displays right on screen, with results at an accuracy of +/- 0.01 per cent BAC, at a BAC of 0.02 per cent.
DrinkMate is an investment in your personal health and safety, as well as an easy way to ensure you’ll be responsible while having fun. You can even connect with friends to share your readings, helping yourself and others make smart decisions in social situations.
Think ahead and stay safe with DrinkMate – it’s got your BAC! Now just £20.79 ($30) from Pocket-lint Deals.
Disney Research uses RFID tags for low-cost interactive games
Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a way to use RFID tags to make interactive games and controllers so cheap, they’re “essentially disposable.” Their system called “RapID” can sense if you’re moving or touching objects attached with cheap, battery-less RFID tags in near real time. RFID readers typically take up to two seconds to read tags on luggage or other items, but RapID can recognize movements in as little as 200 milliseconds.
The team made a bunch of interactive toys to demonstrate the system’s capabilities, including a tic-tac-toe board that displays the game on a computer screen and plays sound effects. They also made a physical audio control board you can use to mix music and a toy spaceship whose movements are animated on screen.
Since you can slap a cheap RFID tag on pretty much anything, the system can even be used to create interactive storybooks. As Disney Research scientist Alanson Sample said, “By making it easy to add RFID-based sensing to objects, RapID enables the design of new, custom interactive devices with a very fast development cycle.” The team demonstrated all the toys we’ve mentioned above (and more) in the video below.
Via: The Verge
Source: Disney Research, Carnegie Mellon University
T-Mobile vs. Sprint: Best family plan
Comparing data, to minutes, to cost, to perks, which carrier is right for your family?
When you’re shopping between T-Mobile and Sprint it’s important to know how much data you need, how many devices will be on your account, and how much data you expect to use when choosing a sharing plan.
- What sharing plans are available?
- How many devices are allowed on a shared plan?
- How does data work on a shared plan?
- How do talk and text work on a shared plan?
- What perks come with sharing plans?
- Which carrier’s shared plan is right for my family?
What sharing plans are available from T-Mobile and Sprint?
Sharing plans allow you to purchase one big chunk of data and divvy it up between all the phones and devices on your account.
T-Mobile doesn’t really offer a true sharing plan. Instead of sharing one big chunk of data, each person on your account is given a monthly allotment of data. Once they surpass their data limit, they can still use data on their phone or tablet, but their download speeds will be slower.
Sprint used to offer something called the Family Share Pack, but have now eliminated that program in favor of a more simplified plan for individuals and families called the Better Choice plans, which allow you to share data between multiple devices, just like a familiy plan.
How many devices are allowed on a shared plan?
With both T-Mobile and Sprint you are charged for each device on your plan. Adding smartphones to your plan costs more than adding tablets or wearables, so knowing how many devices you want to share data with will impact your total bill each month.
T-Mobile cost per device
With T-Mobile you can have up to 12 devices on one account. The more devices you add, the cheaper it is per device (until you eventually bottom out at $10 each). Adding a tablet to your T-Mobile plan is only $10/device if you also have a cell phone on your plan, otherwise it’s $20.
- Phone 1, $50
- Phone 2, $30
- Phone 3, $10
- Each additional phone $10
- Each additional tablet $10 (or $20 if you don’t have a phone)
Sprint cost per device
With Sprint, the price per device depends on whether you lease your phone or pay in monthly installments, or if you’re on a two-year service agreement.
- $20/month/smartphone for non-discounted phones
- $40/month/smartphone on a two-year service agreement
- $10/month/tablet (at least one activated phone required)
- $10/month/mobile broadband device (at least one activated phone required)
Remember, if you’re not bringing your own phone, your carrier will also charge you a monthly fee to purchase one of their phones. Costs vary, but if you want the most up-to-date phone, you’ll be looking at about $25-$30 per month until the device is paid off.
How does data work on a shared plan with T-Mobile and Sprint?
This is where things get tricky. T-Mobile gives you a specific data allotment for each device, whereas Sprint gives you a big pool of data to share.
If you go over on T-Mobile your data speed slows down, but you won’t have to pay more. If you go over on Sprint, you have to pay overage fees.
T-Mobile monthly data rates
- 2 GB (included with your monthly charge for each device on your account)
- 6 GB, $15/device
- 10 GB, $30/device
- Unlimited, $45/device
Overage Charges: If you go over your monthly data limit with T-Mobile your connection speed can be reduced (If you have a normal, 4G, LTE connection your speed can be reduce from between 6 and 20 Mbps to between 64 and 128 kbps which is less than a 2G network connection). Even on an unlimited plan, if you exceed 25 GB on a device in one bill cycle your speeds may be reduced. This may only happen during peak use times, or if you’re lucky, not at all, but T-Mobile reserves the right to limit your speeds if you go over.
Rollover Data: T-Mobile offers a service called Data Stash which allows you to rollover any unused data in future months and will save this unused, high speed data for an entire year.
Sprint monthly data rates
- 1 GB $20
- 3 GB $30
- 6 GB $45
- 12 GB $60
- 24 GB $80
- 40 GB $100
Sprint also offers an unlimited plan but the pricing structure is a little different than other plans. You pay $75/month for unlimited data and a decreasing amount for each line you want to add bottoming out after your fifth linphone at $30 for each additional line added. Your data speed will be reduced after 23 GB are used in one month.
Overage Charges: All Sprint plans come with unlimited 2G data after you have used up your high speed allotment for the month. This means you will not be charged overage fees, but your data speed will slow way down if you go over your allotment.
Rollover Data: Sprint does not let you rollover your high speed data into the next billing cycle.
How do talk and text work on a shared plan on T-Mobile and Sprint?
Both T-Mobile and Sprint include unlimited talk and text with their shared plans.
T-Mobile includes unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada with any plan, no matter how much data you buy.
Sprint offers free calling to Mexico and Canada when you’re in the U.S. Additionally, you can add the Open World plan to your account for free. This gives you unlimited calling and text while travelling in Mexico and Canada (as well as a few other countries) plus you get 1 GB of high-speed data while roaming.
What perks come with share plans from T-Mobile and Sprint?
Sometimes it’s tough to decide between one carrier or another, so each provider will offer something to sweeten the pot and hopefully make you choose them over someone else.
T-Mobile’s incentive package helps protect your high speed data, by making certain data-draining activities are exempt from your overall high speed data allotment. T-Mobile’s Music Freedom allows you to stream music from popular services you already have an account with like Apple Music, Google Music, Pandora, without counting against your data. Binge On works the same way as Music Freedom, but for popular video services you have an account for like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu.
Sprint doesn’t have any perks comparable to T-Mobile, but if you have family living outside of the U.S. their above-mentioned Open World plan has some advantages.
Which carrier’s shared plan is right for my family?
Both T-Mobile and Sprint have a lot of room to customize their services based on the needs and budget of your household. For comparison purposes, we will look at share plans that have two phones and two tablets on them.
If you want the absolute cheapest plan, that can be built with Sprint, but you would have a very small amount of data (1GB) to share between devices.
If you want the most high speed data you can get that with T-Mobile, but even though you’re buying “unlimited” high speed data, it may start to slow down after you use 25 GB on one device. Sprint offers an unlimited plan as well, but they reserve the right to reduce speeds at 23 GB. Speed reductions could happen only during peak times or, if you’re lucky, not at all!
If you want the best value for your data T-Mobile lets you buy the amount of data you think you’ll need for each device and won’t charge you overage fees.
If you have many devices (5 or more) consider the T-Mobile plan as it’s per-device account fee bottoms out at $10 for three or more devices, which is less expensive than Verizon’s rates. However, if you only have one smartphone on your account and the rest are tablets or wearables, then Verizon may be a better choice.
If you want to avoid overage fees then T-Mobile is a clear winner since they only slow down your data if you go over your limit instead of charging you per GB of data.
If you’re primarily concerned with talk and text from your provider, T-Mobile and Sprint are pretty equal. The only difference is if you frequently travel to Mexico or Canada, Sprint includes unlimited calls and messages plus 1 GB of data while roaming if you upgrade to their free Open World plan
If you already pay for TV service in your home neither T-Mobile or Sprint offer any kind of TV bundling services, so this won’t be a deciding factor.
Keep calm and carrier on!
Ultimately choosing a shared plan for your family comes down to how many people are in your home, what devices they use, and what they use them for. T-Mobile and Sprint have slight advantages between each other depending on what category you look at.
Overall T-Mobile’s plan offers the most customization and flexibility and their low data prices and lack of overage charges make them a really appealing option for data-hungry households.
Parsey McParseface is Google’s open source bid to help machines understand English
One of the biggest challenges in interacting with machines is their ability to understand the way we meat bags naturally speak. Thankfully, Google has just open sourced a tool that was constructed to tackle this precise problem. And standing in stark contrast to the tool’s quite serious purpose is its exceptionally silly name: Parsey McParseface.
Parsey McParseface is actually the English language parser that is itself part of a larger framework for understanding natural language, called SyntaxNet, that Google has open sourced. Google touts Parsey McParseface as the most accurate model of its kind, noting its potential benefits to developers and researchers now that it’s open source. From Google:
Parsey McParseface is built on powerful machine learning algorithms that learn to analyze the linguistic structure of language, and that can explain the functional role of each word in a given sentence. Because Parsey McParseface is the most accurate such model in the world, we hope that it will be useful to developers and researchers interested in automatic extraction of information, translation, and other core applications of NLU.
In fact, Google says that Parsey McParseface’s dissections of English language sentences are 94% accurate. Given the inherent ambiguity in the meaning of many sentences — something that Google says is one of its main challenge — that’s a pretty impressive statistic.
This follows Google’s recent move to open source TensorFlow, the company’s overall machine learning platform to which Parsey McParseface and SyntaxNet belong. For much more on how Parsey McParseface works, be sure to check out Google’s full blog post.
Fallout Shelter on Android gets exclusive Old Longfellow vault dweller
Coinciding with the upcoming release of Fallout 4’s latest DLC, Fallout Shelter players on Android can add an exclusive dweller to their vault. Called Old Longfellow, the character will appear in the upcoming Far Harbor DLC, but is also a free dweller available exclusively to Fallout Shelter players on Android.
For limited time on @GooglePlay, get Far Harbor’s Old Longfellow FREE in #FalloutShelter https://t.co/UTUUz9vwXP pic.twitter.com/FhW5Ms3ESw
— Fallout (@Fallout) May 12, 2016
In addition to Old Longfellow, it looks like you’ll get a bonus of five free lunchboxes as well. It’s unclear what players can expect from old Longfellow, but it’s a cool bonus nonetheless if you happen to be playing the game on Android.
AIVAnet 