Tuesday 14 July 2015

Frozen: The Best Animated Flick I Have Ever Watched

Frozen, The Movie

Frozen, the Movie
Source: Whatsiesays
Walt Disney Pictures has always been everyone's favorite. With a host of inspiring animated movies, Disney has been a darling for kids and even oldies like us.

And then, this famous brand came up with 'Frozen'. This is one of the best animated flick I have ever seen.

Fairy tales aren't new. But what Frozen, the movie, has portrayed is worth a standing ovation. Elsa, the lead character, teaches us how to overcome age old social bondages an follow our heart. 'If you are never yourself, you are never YOU' - was the clear message.

Frozen, Elsa
Source: Vanity Fair
Creating ice is Elsa's talent. But, it is seen as a curse and she has to hide it from the world. The song, 'Let It Go', in the movie marks her rebellion and finding herself afresh. Anna, on the other hand, is the funny, happy-go-lucky sister who cares about Elsa a lot. She is brave, courageous and loves love.

While Elsa finds a way to show her act of true love through her sister, Anna learns a few worldly ways from her. That suffices what both were lagging behind in.

Frozen, Elsa and Anna
Source: Arts.Mic
While I would rather not talk about the male characters, I would definitely love to mention about Olaf (which literally means ancestral heritage) - Elsa's creation, the snowman, and probably the best part of the movie.

Olaf was created to portray the innocence of Elsa's powers. The little snowman is a part of her and Anna's beautiful childhood. Though his coming to life was completely accidental, he is the sole broken bridge that can bring the sisters together, kind of. He is a memory of the picture-perfect springtime of their lives.

Olaf
Source: JustLav

Monday 13 July 2015

10 Things That Are No Longer Worth the Paper They are Printed on

And the reason is your smartphone!

It’s a machine life, this present one. Sometimes, we are more dependent on our phone than on anything else. Technology has got the better of us regardless of our age, sex, ethnicity or financial status. Here’s a little picture of how more and more people are drooling over smartphones today:

Mobile phone penetration, 2015
Source: Brian Barela
Of course, these devices have made life a lot easier. But, because humankind has become, sort of, addicted to the device, there are a lot of things that are on the brink of getting wiped out for good. As of now, we’ll focus on the things that are paper related, like:

#1. A World Atlas Book:

There was a time when buying a big, fat Atlas book was a fun thing. But, today, it’s a reluctant venture. Maps are obsolete. There’s GPS in our phones to compensate. Does anybody buy this item now? Guess none.

World Atlas
Source: Ocean
#2. Newspaper:

The idiot box has marred its glory somewhat. But, with the advent of this smaller idiot box, newspapers have lost their charm altogether. Today, people hunt for news online. And, why waste time reading text when everything is available in video platforms? Take a look at this:

People buying newspaper online
Source: Changing Journalism
#3. A Dictionary:

Is the fat book eating up space in your residence? Throw it away, for you don’t need it anymore. ‘Your phone. The Internet. Google. Define.’ Need I say more?

Who buys a dictionary today?
Source: Tommie Media
#4. An Encyclopedia:

Encyclopedia Britannica has been already included in the list of obsolete things now. It’s sad. But then, there’s no other way out either. These once faithful partners of our study have been replaced by websites like Wikipedia. You can blame all the mobile devices that help you access any information, anytime, for anywhere.

Who buys an encyclopedia today?
Source: wanni.wordpres.com
#5. Diaries:

It’s getting wiped out partly because people don’t have time, and partly because there are now available free diary apps. Okay, it’s a ridiculous thing to sit down for long hours and burn your phone’s battery just for the sake of jotting down your day. But then, it’s happening.

Source: PICP Project
#6. Notebooks and writing pads:

There are the Microsoft Office apps to compensate. Create, save and edit documents digitally. Who needs to carry notebooks and writing pads, anyway?

Who buys notebooks and writing pads today?
Source: Pigje
#7. Sticky notes:

There’s a feature in your smartphone called ‘to-do.’ It works exactly like the sticky notes, and even better. You can edit it whenever necessary and save it eternally. There’s no wasting paper and there’s no ruining the stickiness with time.

Sticky notes
Source: Marc's Blog
#8. Yellow pages:

Do you really need an offline telephone or business directory when you have a heap of online ones? Yellow pages are absolutely obsolete. There’s no denying this fact.

Yellow Pages
Source: The Telegraph
#9. Photo albums:

Once upon a time, having a photo album was a family pride. But, your smartphone lets you capture moments, store them digitally, and even share them on the social media platforms. It’s amazing. But then, photo albums are brutally out of the scene.

Photo albums
Source: Photo HorCrux
#10. Postcards:

Okay, smartphone or no smartphone, nobody buys postcards these days. E-mails, Instant Messages, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and what not! No, there’s no way postcards are reviving. Period.

Postcards are obsolete
Source: Wikipedia
So, that was about the digital explosion overwhelmingly defeating some ancient paper-related products. Indeed, these ten things are no longer worth the paper they are printed on. Can you suggest more of such items?

Wednesday 8 July 2015

The Reader View Feature of Mozilla Firefox is Winning Hearts

Distraction-free reading coming your way…

Firefox 38.0.5 FINAL for desktop has been released this year. This new build has three very interesting updates: a Reader View feature, Pocket offline reading services integration, and an improved Hello chat tool.

The Reader View, in particular, is a strong competition to Apple’s Reader mode integrated in Safari. The aim is to provide users with a distraction-free reading mode. 

The function is basic – it extracts and displays the text of an article from the website, on which it is published, hiding all the menus, ads and distractions in the process. Yes, UX has won yet again!

Mozilla has kept it pretty simple and free from a feature clutter. However, you can change the font size and type, and choose a light, dark or sepia backdrop. Most importantly, the Reader View features the Pocket button for its read-it-later services.
A web page in Reader View looks like this.
Source: Connectwww.com
The purpose:

The feature brings about a smooth and wonderful reading experience to desktop users of Firefox. It shows the minimalist version of a website’s UI, keeping it free from the cacophony of annoying ads and distracting off-canvas menus.

Does it matter?

Of course, yes! Who would not love such an amazing reading experience? And, from a point of view of engaging a viewer, this is an awesome feature. Informative and interesting content matters. But, more than that, a reader’s experience is of more value.

Further, from an SEO point of view, this is definitely going to make a viewer stay for a longer time on websites. Better thank Mozilla for this.

When does it show?

No, you will not see it if you are reading this post. Neither will you get it if you have landed on the home page of a website. However, if you visit a single page or a single post, the feature pops up on the address bar near the reload icon in the form of a tiny book icon.

Reader View in Firefox
Source: TechDelve
Click on it to enter the Reader View and bingo! You’re now viewing a page free of ads, menus, social share buttons, header, footer, sidebars and even the comment section! Yes, this feature has been designed for readers out-and-out. Of course, you can revert to the original look anytime!

It’s customizable!

Once you have entered the Reader View, you’ll observe a ‘Type Controls’ feature. Using this, you can shift from Serif to Sans-serif font type, and vice versa. You can also adjust the size of the font using the plus and minus buttons, and change the background tone between light, dark and sepia.
Type Control in Reader View
Source: Nevada
Read-it-later!

The ‘Save to Pocket’ feature lets you save the article in Pocket for reading later. Of course, you will need to have a Pocket account for using this feature. You can access saved content from this account anytime, from any device. And, when you are done, you can exit the Reader View with the help of the exit button.

Pocket read-it-later

Wrap-up:

The Reader View is not available for a lot of websites at present. However, it is a feature most welcome! Isn’t it making reading experience fantastic?

Sunday 5 July 2015

Makeup Tips: How To Look Good This Monsoon

The rain can ruin your makeup. So, it’s time to wear it right!

Were you thinking ‘heavy’? Or planning ‘waterproof’? No matter how relieving the rain is, it can take a merciless toll on your look, leaving behind a disaster. So, here’s what to avoid and embrace this monsoon:

•    Remember to keep your face extremely clean. The rain brings with it all the possibilities of bad infections. You don’t want the dirt sticking to your face before you paint it, do you?

Makeup Tips for Monsoon
Source: Huffington Post
•    Ditch using the foundation this season, because with a heavy downpour comes humidity. Your face is going to sweat a lot, and make your foundation melt and come off very easily.
Don't use foundation in monsoon
Source: CollegeTimes
•    Use face powder. It will control the sweat and make your makeup last longer. Of course, you must use it in small amounts to avoid caking.

Use facepowder in monsoon
Source: Our Vanity
•    Go for eye makeup, which looks subtle. Use a kohl pencil instead of a liquid one. In this way, you will save your eye makeup from getting dripped away in the rain. Also, if you want to use eye shadow, choose natural colors and powder-based products. And yes, please say no to mascara.
Eye makeup for monsoon
Source: Become Gorgeous
•    Using a gloss for your lips is a bad idea when it’s raining. Opt for a matte-finish lipstick instead. Use dark colors because they last longer. To make your lip makeup more durable, apply lip balm prior to using lipstick.

Lip makeup for monsoon
Source: Top 10 Inaction
•    Use a blush, which is bright-colored. While it is advisable to ditch the blush altogether, a cream-based product is better than a powder-based one.

Cream-based blush
Source: Style Ramp
•    Never wear your hair open in the rain. Tie it up in a simple bun. Of course, you should avoid using hair sprays and gels if you don’t want your tresses to tangle, or your scalp to breed dandruff. Regular oiling helps in controlling frizzy hair.

Hairstyle for monsoon
Source: Medium Hairstyles Haircuts
•    Finally, go for simple jewelry. Replace that choker with a light, little necklace. Wear a pair of studs instead of drops and dangles. Your ultimate aim should be to look as natural as possible.

Simple jewelry for monsoon
Source: Pinterest
Yes, maintaining your makeup during monsoons can be chaotic. So, whenever you step out, always remember to carry an umbrella. It’s a big savior from the rains.

Enjoying the monsoon rain
Source: 9walls