Day: December 18, 2017

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New Jet-Lag Fighting Glasses Now Sold On International Flights

During their studies in the Netherlands, Aleksandar Dimitrov and Branislav Nikolic were having trouble adjusting to the long, gloomy Dutch winter days. They came from Bulgaria and Serbia, both sunnier countries, and had trouble waking up in the morning and staying active through the darker Northern European days. During their MSc Entrepreneurship studies, they began to look at technology products on the market that could boost their overall energy levels.

They found that most solutions that used light to improve energy were inconvenient, and did not use personalization or smart technology. Dimitrov, Nikolic and their third co-founder Nikola Vucinic, decided to create their own product, and so AYO, an unusual eyewear that mimics the natural bluelight from the sun, was born. AYO would go on to raise over $370k in crowdfunding, move into Indiegogo’s Marketplace and sign a deal with KLM Airlines, making the glasses available to all business and economic passengers on many international flights.

Ayo’s popularity continues to grow as one of only a few products on the market that gives you control over your internal clock. The unique glasses emit blue light through their frames, providing a natural alternative to energy drinks, sleeping pills and caffeine. You can fully control and customize the light from the eyewear through the accompanying smartphone app. Applying chronobiology and circadian rhythm research, Dimitrov, Nikolic and Vucinic designed the clinically-backed AYO light to gently enter your eyes, triggering retinal ganglion cells to send signals to your brain. As a result, AYO can control how your brain releases melatonin, helping you boost energy and set a natural sleep rhythm based on your habits and lifestyle.

“The science behind AYO follows the latest developments and studies in the field of Chronobiology (the science about our body clocks) in the past 20+ years from leading institutions, such as Harvard, Oxford and NASA,” Dimitrov says.” The glasses came to market at a time when control of our internal clock was gaining popularity. In 2017, the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology was awarded to three American researchers to recognize their discoveries of mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. AYO is one of these few products that allow you to control your circadian rhythm through personalized, smart technology.

The creators stress that by wearing this for even 20 minutes a day you can improve energy and relieve stress in the workplace, sleep better and deeper, and beat jet lag quickly and easily. Frequent fliers use AYO to skip those power naps and overcome jet lag after long flights, which is why KLM not only sells AYO on their flights, but also awarded the inventors as the winner of the Air France / KLM Innovation Challenge. AYO was also recognized as the best product sold on-board by Travel Blue and the Global Shopping Forum.

Indiegogo Backers bring AYO to life.

From the beginning, Dimitrov, Nickolic, and Vucinic knew crowdfunding was the right way to launch their idea into the world. “Back in 2014, while we were still developing one of AYO’s earliest prototypes, we already knew that we would like to showcase AYO to the world through the innovative concept of crowdfunding,” said Dimitrov.

Nearly three years later, the AYO team found success through crowdfunding — exceeding their initial funding goal on Indiegogo. Thanks to backers, AYO was able to reach their campaign goal of $50,000 less than 48 hours after launching on Indiegogo. But their impact wasn’t limited to funding. “Our overwhelmingly supportive backers were with us along the way, giving us ideas and sharing feedback to make AYO a truly exceptional, wearable product,” explained Dimitrov. “The creation of AYO most probably would not have become a reality without Indiegogo and our amazing community of backers.”

To keep AYO’s momentum going, the team decided to take advantage of Indiegogo’s InDemand program. InDemand allowed AYO to pursue new audiences and receive additional pre-orders without deadlines or limits. After a successful run on InDemand, AYO moved to Indiegogo’s Marketplace — the place to find the latest innovations before they go mainstream. Loaded with the latest in tech, design and more, Indiegogo’s Marketplace features products from successful crowdfunding campaigns — all with guaranteed shipping.

“The Marketplace is another innovative concept of Indiegogo, allowing campaigners to continue selling their products to customers, even after they have been delivered to all the backers,” said Dimitrov. From crowdfunding to InDemand and Marketplace, launching AYO on Indiegogo proved to be an extremely worthwhile venture for the team. “The overall Indiegogo experience for us was immensely positive and brought us the possibility to sell AYO to more than 2,000 people from more than 80 countries worldwide,” explained Dimitrov. Shop AYO here and find other innovative products in our Marketplace.

The post New Jet-Lag Fighting Glasses Now Sold On International Flights appeared first on Indiegogo Blog.

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Teach Kids to Nickname the Fears That Won’t Go Away    

When I hear from adults who live with anxiety (and that’s 40 million of us in America), many say that the only thing that helps is not trying to get rid of the anxiety completely, but learning to accept that it’s going to hang around, maybe forever. They begin to see it as just a thing, neither good nor bad. On a recent episode of The Hilarious World of Depression podcast, one guest said she deals with her anxiety by naming it “Steve” and then imagining Steve as this dumb friend who shows up once in a while. So whenever her anxiety acts out, she can say, “Oh, Steve. Cut it out.”

And yet when children have crippling fears—say, of dogs, germs or talking to new people—adults often tell them “Stop it, don’t be afraid,” which not only makes them more anxious, but also feel like they’re disappointing those around them by being anxious. Just like adults, they need to learn how to live with their anxiety, rather than in fear of their fears. They can benefit from giving their worries a nickname, too.

It’s actually a tool used by therapists, including Bridget Flynn Walker, a clinical psychologist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat children with anxiety disorders. “When a kid has anxiety, it can feel like his or her brain is highjacked for a while by worry, sort of like when a horse takes off galloping with his or her rider when they are not supposed to,” says Walker, who writes about the strategy in her new book Anxiety Relief for Kids. “Nicknaming fosters a little objectivity in what can feel like a very scary moment. It’s like saying to yourself, ‘I know what you are doing, brain.’”

Here’s how to help your child nickname the fears that won’t go away:

Understand the anxious brain. Your child very likely knows, intellectually, that her worry is extreme or even completely irrational, but as long as her amygdala is activated—the part of the brain that gives us that jolt of panic—that intellectual understanding is dissolved. So instead of trying to talk the child out of feeling anxious, it’s more effective to offer a technique to face the fear. That’s where the nickname comes in.

Ask your child to come up with a nickname. Walker writes that the nickname should be “lighthearted, and not frightening or negative.” A child who’s afraid of germs might name the fear “Germ Worm,” she explains.

Practice using it. The goal is to have the child simply greet the fear when it comes around, according to Walker. “You don’t want her to think things such as Go away, Germ Worm! or I hate you, Germ Worm! or You suck, Germ Worm!” she writes. “The idea is to remain objective, without adding more negative thoughts.” You want the greeting become a natural response, and that takes some practice. Role play different scenarios by pretending to be the worry. Walker plays this game with her patients. She’ll say something like, “John, if you touch this shopping cart, you’ll get germs on you!” And then John will respond by saying, “Hi, Germ Worm!” Later on, your child can greet her worry silently in her head.

Prod when necessary. If you see your child becoming anxious, Walker writes that you can ask, in a calm voice, “Is that Germ Worm?” Your kid might get annoyed and say “No!”—at that point, don’t try to convince her otherwise. You’ve gotten the idea into her head, and she can sort the rest out herself.

Realize that this is a long-term tool. Some kids may worry that nicknaming a fear will make them think about the fear even more. Walker writes that it might, at least at first. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which is said to be the most helpful form of therapy for treating anxiety in children, requires for kids to move closer to a fear. And that is hard. But as they become more comfortable with it, as they learn to accept it as just one thing in their great big lives, the less power it will have over them.

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Comcast to Customer Who Noticed It Secretly Injecting Code: Maybe It’s Your Fault?

Comcast is once again under fire for injecting JavaScript code into websites its customers visit.

Last week, user bham3dman took to the Xfinity forum to complain about Comcast inserting hundreds of lines of code into their browsing session. The code surfaced a pop-up telling them to upgrade to a new modem.

This is far from the first time Comcast has taken heat for secretly injecting code into devices on its network. In 2014, the company got called out for pounding wi-fi hotspot users with pop-ups, and the modem-upgrade pop-ups first surfaced early last year. But the company’s response this time around only added fuel to the simmering flames.

“I just learned of this dispicable [sic] Comcast practice today and I am livid,” bham3dman wrote.

Comcast’s solution? The user should have checked their email spam folder.

A Comcast representative—who, it turns out, is Comcast’s vice president of policy and standards, Jason Livingood—confirmed the code injection, pointing bham3dman to a 2011 white paper outlining the practice. Titled “Comcast’s Web Notification System Design,” the document interestingly has a clause specifically saying injecting code is permissible but not for advertisements.

   R3.1.12.  Advertising Replacement or Insertion Must Not Be Performed              Under ANY Circumstances              Additional Background: The system must not be used to              replace any advertising provided by a website, or to insert              advertising into websites.  This therefore includes cases              where a web page already has space for advertising, as well              as cases where a web page does not have any advertising.              This is a critical area of concern for end users, privacy              advocates, and other members of the Internet community.              Therefore, it must be made abundantly clear that this              system will not be used for such purposes.

Livingood, who confirmed to Gizmodo that he responded to bham3dman, insisted to the user that the pop-ups aren’t ads at all. He instead said they were notifications alerting users that their modems were “either end of life (EOL) or that you are about to get a speed upgrade that the model will be unable to deliver.” The specifics of the language is important: Simply notifying users they have a faulty modem isn’t the same as enticing them to upgrade to a new one for no reason. One could be considered a mere notification, while the other would be a forbidden ad.

Motherboard surfaced one of the modem pop-ups when similar complaints came up last year. The message links to Comcast’s My Device page. Clicking through links to a list of modems you can purchase via Amazon. A Comcast spokesperson told Gizmodo that the company also offers customers the option to rent a modem from the company.

On the question of whether this qualifies as an ad or not, bham3dman called bullshit. Livinsgood said the messages only show up if your modem is dead or dying, but bham3dman said they’d been assured by Comcast’s own support team that their modem was perfectly fine, neither end-of-life nor incapable of handling increased speeds. Further, when bham3dman reached out to customer service supervisors to complain, the user said, most had never heard of the practice of injecting code or, if they were aware, didn’t know how to turn it off.

Incredibly, Livingood suggested it was all bham3dman’s own fault: “The notice is typically sent after a customer ignores several emails. Perhaps some of those ended up in your spam folder?”

Creepily invasive code-injections aside, for a telecommunications giant to say, in 2017, that pop-up notifications are unavoidable is absurd. No one can stop the notices? If they’re triggered by ignoring emails, can’t the trigger be disabled? And why send emails in the first place, when the user has been assured they have a fully functioning modem?

Livingood, who declined our request to further comment on the pop-ups, was careful in his replies not to debate whether it’s actually fair to users to send them messages this way, but that’s the real issue here. If this is meant to help customers, it’s as self-serving a way to do it as possible—and it could be dangerous. As Motherboard noted, using these types of pop-ups can train users to be less vigilant about pop-ups, which hackers can use for malicious purposes.

[The Next Web]

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Star Wars, Meet Company Of Heroes

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As we’ve established here on Kotaku.com, Company of Heroes was the perfect RTS. Making it even more perfect, then, is this upcoming Star Wars mod for the game.

It’s a mod cliche—take a game, add Star Wars!—but you can’t argue it’s not a successful one, with everything from Call of Duty to Homeworld benefiting from people’s innate desire to bring Star Wars everywhere that Lucasarts did not.

Enter Star Wars: Frontlines, a mod that’s been in the making for a little while now, but which is about to release its first playable build to the public. There won’t be much to it—just a Mos Eisley map and some infantry units—but considering the quality of the game they’re being plastered over the top of, that’s still worth a look.

Hopefully the AT-ATs, Speeder Bikes and X-Wings can come later.

You can keep tabs on Frontlines here.

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10 Shamelessly Neckbeard-y Gift Ideas For Under $50

This year, it’s time to reveal your power levels and showcase your true form. No longer shall we nerds be satisfied with "warm sweaters" or "tasteful gifts". If you’re about practicality, nuance, or a curated aesthetic of adult maturity, then kindly GTFO. This list is for people that love CARBON FIBER and RGB LED LIGHTING. These are gift ideas for TRUE Masters of the Blade.

We’ve gathered 10 gift ideas that are not only semi-affordable, but speak to something primal and pure in our nature. We’re going beyond the "fake geeks" and the Funko Pop pretenders. Only the most glorious and smartest Rick and Morty fans can appreciate gifts of this caliber.

If someone you love asks what you want this holiday season, don’t lie and mumble something about a Barnes and Noble gift card… look them right in the eye and say LASER GLASSES.

1. 5MW 650nm Stage Red Laser Glasses ($36.99)

laser glasses red lazer

QUICK, NAME YOUR FAVORITE MEMBER OF THE X-MEN. NOW CHANGE YOUR ANSWER FROM "WOLVERINE" TO THE CORRECT CHOICE, "CYCLOPS". Eye lasers are one of the primordial superpowers in escapist fiction. The fantasy of destroying something with a mere GAZE is a powerful idea, and while these specs don’t have the wattage to do serious damage, you WILL look like a futuristic badass while you dazzle and disorient whoever is on the wrong side of these photon-emitting goggles. Created as high-tech DJ / Raver gear, you will get 10 beam-emitting diodes fanning out from your face with a simple push of the button on the right temple, just like Scott Summers himself.

2. Radioactive Glowing Titanium / Tungsten Carbide Self Defense Ring ($45.95)

cringey gifts titanium tritium ring punch punch

Sun Tzu once said "the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting" and if he were alive today I’m sure he’d add "but if you DO have to fight make sure you got a gnalry chunk of metal attached to your fist". This portable self-defense tool can be worn easily across your neck along with the included pendant, but when push comes to "break some fool’s nose" this ring made from milled titanium can be a game changer. Adorned with a hardened tungsten carbide bit for extra damage, the ring gives off a colorful blue and green glow thanks to the two embedded tritium vials. Now you may have to check your local laws if you purchase this bad boy, because tritium TECHNICALLY gives off radiation, but the vials will continue to emit light for a decade with no electricity or blacklight needed. NEAT.

3. Deadpool / Leonardo Twin Swords and Back Scabbard Set ($44.98)

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Pop culture has taught us time and time again that the only one thing cooler than a katana… is TWO KATANAS. Inspired by pop culture heroes like Rob Liefeld’s Deadpool and Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this affordable piece of kit will help you practice such essential moves as "slowly drawing both swords from behind your back while staring down your opponent" and "sheathing two swords at once without fumbling or having it look kind of awkward". Once you master the basics you can upgrade to a REAL forged Japanese katanas which, last time I checked, only cost like $7,000 bucks apiece.

 

4. Wood Trick Laser-Cut Robotic Hand Kit ($44.99)

wooden hand assembly

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If you’re a little too old for LEGO and want to experience what life would be like as an eco-friendly cyborg, this fun kit might be up your alley. Made from thin sheets of laser cut wood, the pieces can be assembled into series of joints and levers that result in a gnarly facsimile of the human forearm. Whether you use the final piece for grabbing stuff on the high-shelves or just enjoy an afternoon putting little bits together in the right order. You may find yourself inspired enough to continue building until you have yourself a completely organic exo-suit.

 

5. Japanese KUJIRA Utility Knife ($39.99)

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There’s nothing worse than when you need to open a letter or package but then everybody freaks out when you unsheath your 5-inch spyderco spring-loaded tanto edge folding knife. Like come on, guys, this is just my EDC! Anyway, these ergonomic and adorably-designed knives would fit right in any standard office desk and can tackle even the toughest of boxes. Available in several different whale-based styles, these guys get the job done despite not having any tactical advantages.

6. BITTBOY Bootleg Mini NES/Famicom Emulator Console ($39.99)

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We know, you’ve got an N64 emulator on your phone and a hacked NES mini in the living room, but for a convenient and satisfying retro gaming experience on the go, the BITTBOY is one handy little knockoff. Packed with 300 ROMS (including some truly WTF-worthy pokemon bootlegs), the device has a bright backlit LCD screen and solid construction that will definitely turn some heads the next time you bust it out on a packed commuter train. Keep one in your jacket pocket in case of a gamer emergency or give one to your old buddy who quit being your Player Two as soon as he got a girlfriend in 7th grade.

 

7. Ferrocerium Firestarter and Striker Tool ($37.99)

firestarter campfire ferrocerium rod

Don’t believe what the lying media says, we all know the truth is that society is definitely going to fall apart after roaming gangs of unemployed millenials team up with the zombies to destroy the modern world. When the end comes it’s important that you and your (potential) family can live OFF THE GRID. With this firestarting kit you can provide heat and energy without having to use such unreliable methods like "matches" or "a lighter". This is definitely a serious thing I’m talking about and not just the fact that STRIKING STEEL AGAINST FLINT and CREATING A SHOWER OF BRILLIANT WHITE-HOT SPARKS isn’t ONE OF THE COOLEST FEELINGS IN THE WORLD. Yes indeed this is an important SURVIVAL tool and not just A SUPER RAD WAY TO BURN STUFF. The included paracord lanyard is made with jute fiber that can serve as emergency kindling as well.

 

8. A Whole Lotta N52-Grade Super Strong Neodymium Magnets ($16.90)

neodymium magnets fun crafts super strong gift ideas

I’m not gonna tell you how you’ll end up using 250 high-strength rare earth magnets. I’m just gonna let you know that if you’ve ever WANTED 250 high-strength rare earth magnets, this is a pretty good deal and you can use them for fidgeting, crafts, maker projects, or just fucking with that old CRT television in your parents’ basement. Perhaps you can use them to create a perpetual motion machine, nobody’s thought of trying THAT yet, right?

 

9. Japanese "Double Chin" Toning Belt ($24.00)

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The bane of many otherwise very high-T alphas such as myself, the double chin has been a shameful expanse of flesh that can only be covered by the most wily and unkempt beards. But after years of  lackluster results with dietary supplementation, a soy free diet, and very occaisional exercise I’ve stumbled across a product that will finally give you a jawline that women desire, and weaker men FEAR. According to the site, this belt focuses heat on the problematic underflab and works like a sauna on your neck, practically melting the pounds away. And since it’s from Japan (a country that is not totally known for falling for easily debunked health fads) you know it’s going to work this time. I mean, it HAS TO. Oh god… I’m so lonely.

 

10. Adventur 2.0 Multitool Survival Credit Card ($23.99)

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Ah, the multi-tool credit card, one of the most alluring siren songs for any geek obsessed with gadgets. While 99% of these tchotchkes are never used, merely toted around in a wallet until it’s removed to make room for a Casual Male XL Rewards Club card, the appeal is about increasing one’s CAPABILITY. By carrying an additional 1.5 oz hardened steel YOU are just that much more in CONTROL of your reality, just ever-so less helpless by the forces we cannot change. And while the Adventur 2.0 card pulls many of the same tricks as the dime-a-dozen mass produced tools (bottle opener, hex wrench, rulers, wire stripper, etc) its clever two-piece design lets you pull off this neat trick:

arrowhead axe multitool

IS YOUR NAME GARY PAULSEN? BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT YOURSELF A HATCHET!

Along with the arrowhead piece, you’re ready for some pretty gnarly situations. So even though you will statistically never EVER need to survive by hunting wild game with a makeshift spear at any point in your entire life, it IS one less thing to worry about.

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Uber charges rider over $14,000 for ride across Toronto

When the bars close or a game or concert ends,

Uber

‘s surge pricing can be astonishing. You might have your own horror stories, but they probably don’t compare to that of a Toronto rider who claimed he was charged over $18,500 Canadian (about $14,400 USD) for a 20-minute ride, as reported by

The Comeback

.

Twitter user Emily Kennard posted a screenshot of the digital receipt, which was originally posted to the rider’s private Instagram account:

According to Kennard, her friend disputed the charge, but

Uber

remained firm on the price. Eventually, though, Uber relented, admitting a mistake and refunding the ride. In a statement to

The Comeback

, an Uber spokesperson said, “There was an error and we have provided a full refund. We sincerely apologize to this rider for his experience. We have safeguards in place to help prevent something like this from happening and we are working to understand how this occurred.”

Uber has created enough trouble for itself recently, including

a lawsuit from Waymo

, a

sexual harassment scandal

, an

FBI investigation

, a

power struggle

with its

former CEO

, and, most recently, news of a hack that

breached the data of millions of users

.

Related Video:

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Apple has acquired Shazam

Samuel Axon

Apple confirmed today in statements to several media outlets that it will buy Shazam, pending approval. This news had previously been reported by TechCrunch, which had one source claiming the sale price was around $400 million—far less than Shazam’s $1 billion valuation at its last round of funding.

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