Why Do Clocks on Display Always Show the Time As 10:10?

Ever been to a clock store? Carefully observe the timepieces on display. Each will have the default time set at 10:10. Do you know why?

Source: King Framers (Pinterest)

Let’s come to the common beliefs.

The most stated reason suggests that this was the very time in which the first watch was invented by Peter Henlein. However, other contemporary clockmakers in Germany were already working on different types of timepieces. There’s no clear evidence that the watch of Henlein was the first one.

Source: Wiki

And all this happened in the 16th century, whereas there are a number of proofs that can attest to the fact that watches have been in use since time immemorial, in some form or the other.

Yet again, some say it’s a way to memorialise the time of death of Martin Luther King Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Abraham Lincoln.

You’d be disappointed when you know that Luther King was shot at 6:01 in the evening and died at 7:05 pm on the same day. Lincoln was shot at 10:15 pm and died at 7:22 in the morning. Kennedy was shot at 12:30 in the afternoon and died at 1 pm.

Source: artid.com

Another speculation is, 10:10 denotes the time of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is set as default in every timepiece to mark the tragedy that led to major casualties.

However, even this proposition fails to satiate the query as Hiroshima was bombed with ‘Little Boy’ at 8:15 am and Nagasaki with ‘Fat Man’ at 11:02 am as per local time.

Source: Wiki

A third hypothesis says that 10:10 shows the ‘V’ shape in the clock, which stands for victory. The factuality of this hypothesis, too, remains in doubts. In fact, ‘V’ as the victory sign only came up during World War II. Sigh!

Source: The Pre-Read

Here’s the real reason why:

It’s purely aesthetics! At 10:10, you can observe all the key details of a timepiece’s face. This is the position in which the seconds, minutes, and hours hands are not overlapping and so, are visible. The manufacturer logo, which is usually present under 12 or next to 3, 6, and 9, is evident as well.

Source: PetaPixel

Moreover, at this position, all the hands are in symmetry, which evokes a sense of pleasure in a viewer. Also, if the timepiece depicts date and other such details, 10:10 is the moment which brings everything in sight.

Did you know?

The Apple Watch always displays the default time as 10:09. This has been done intentionally so that the company can make a statement with the product line. The motto is to depict the products as being ahead of their contemporary smartwatches.

Source: Engadget

Apple is not the first company to breach the age-old tradition. Popular watchmaker firm Rolex has chosen the time to be 10:10:31. Bell & Ross keeps it at 10:10:10. Tag Heuer has chosen 10:10:37. And Timex displays it as 10:09:36.

Apparently, Apple has made a silent claim that its products are better than everyone else’s. Indeed, “time has a wonderful way of showing what really matters.”

If you were a watchmaker too, what time would you choose to display?

Go on. Pour out your suggestions in the comment section below. Time’s on your side. :)

Do You Know Why Google Chose to Change its Logo?

It’s for the fifth time now. And this time, it’s huge. The seventeen year old logo has finally changed. But, the question is WHY?

Well, it’s a decade long story! Google was once a land, people visited via desktops and laptops. But, time’s changed. We now have smartphones, tablet PCs, and the latest – wearable devices. Imagine it like this – you have to say hello in a million different languages because the people you are greeting, belong to different ethnicity. How weird will that be?

Google was suffering from something of this sort. Its ancient logo suited the desktops, but not in the newer devices. So, because the silver lining in its cloud was missing, it decided to create one. It revamped its logo so that it can appear in any device, be it a desktop, a laptop, a mobile phone, a wearable watch, the dashboard of your car, and even your TV!

The update was introduced to the world as a Doodle on the first of September this year. And, it looked like this:

In other words, Google’s ‘hello’ to the world has received a universal language, which can be apprehended by any device anywhere, regardless of its built, model, screen size, or operating system. Its new logo can show up in the smallest of screens. All we need is Internet connectivity! Now that’s what we call convenience.

The full logo features Product Sans – a new font which reminds us of a child’s handwriting in primary school. The compact version has been changed, too. The familiar blue lower case ‘g’ has been replaced with an uppercase ‘G,’ which bears all the colors of the new logo together. Another distinct change, which has been introduced, is the addition of a colorful Google mic that assists in interacting with the Search Engine.

Take a look at how the Search Engine has evolved over the years in this video:
 

With the logo remodeled to function seamlessly across an infinite range of devices and inputs, we are definitely witnessing a ‘Google of the future.’ What say?

You Can Stand Under My PHONE-Brella, Ella, Ella, Eh, Eh

Had this thing come up few years ago, Rihanna would have sung this song instead!

The Phone-brella is a simple solution to those who hate getting wet in the rain or making their smartphones do the same. It is a way out to text even when it’s pouring heavily. No craning over the device to shield it. No trying to save the screen with your palm. The wonder umbrella does it for you!

Source: Complex Style

This innovative product comes from the Korean company, kt Design. It resembles any general umbrella with just the exception of an added C-shaped plastic handle for mobile users, which has been designed in a way such that it sits on the wrist securely. Thus, you can carry it hands-free and use your hands for fiddling with your phone instead.

And, because the product does not snap back like most umbrellas, there isn’t any risk of water damaging your smartphone. Isn’t it just incredible?

The concept has earned the company the prestigious Red Dot Design award. The function has been explained in an interesting video, which features a man struggling in the rain with a conventional umbrella and a phone before a kind woman arrives and replaces it with her Phone-brella.

Source: The Daily Mail

However, (ahem!) it’s interesting and intriguing how she subsequently manages to covet a place near him under the umbrella and watch him type something on his phone.

Source: Complex Style

And yes, the advertisement ends with a message that the product is now available in five different shades – Classic Gray, Smoky Gray, Blossom Red, Royal Red and Chic Black.

Source: Hyperblast

This is a huge revolution which will soon catch the attention of smartphone addicts or anyone who likes to do everything else, but hold an umbrella in the rain. Imagine them humming this tune to their phones:

“When the sun shines, we'll shine together

Told you I'd be here forever

Said I'll always be a friend

Took an oath I’mma stick it out 'til the end

Now that it's raining more than ever

Know that we'll still have each other

You can stand under my Phone-brella

You can stand under my Phone-brella

Ella-Ella-Eh-Eh-Eh”

Source: Tumblr

LOL!

Five Common Earphone Struggles: Which One Are You Stuck With?

One of humankind’s greatest inventions is EARPHONES! Just plug in a pair and get detached from this world! We could have never become solo music enthusiasts without them. And imagine the horror of boring lectures choking us! Well, thanks to technology, we now have a way out to manage our audio-environment and control our audio privacy even in the midst of a humming crowd.

However, we all have had our share of struggles with our earphones, too! These are common and worldwide. Like –

#1: The Tangled Mass in Our Pockets & Bags!

No matter how hard we try to prevent this, at the end of the day, it happens. God knows what goes on inside the space, but we can never manage to get it sorted on its own. The struggle to untie the knot invites exasperation. And, remember the annoyance when a tug at the plug pulls the earbuds instead? Sigh!

Source: WeKnowMemes

#2: Earphones With Only One Side Working!

Admit it, we all have suffered this at some point of time or the other, and wondered if our ears are really working. We try tapping the earbuds, twist the cable, and rolling the plug inside the jack, but to no avail. And at the end, we give up and console ourselves with the other earbud that’s working fine…(and silently fear for its well being).

Source: The Wirecutter

#3. Noisy Audio That’s Solved Only When You Tease The Wire!

It feels like someone’s kneading plastic near our ears. And then, when we fiddle with the cable, the noise’s gone! It’s kind of magical, and makes us feel proud of our (pseudo) engineering capabilities. Yes, it does.

Source: Tested.com

#4. The Bud Covers Love Your Ears More Than The Phones!

The earbuds come, repose in our ears and then, leave their covers behind! And, while we frantically search for them everywhere, it never occurs to us that they might just be residing within the hollow of our hearing organs. Ah! Couldn’t each one of us have debuted as the lead character in Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist?

Source: Brookstone

#5. The Earbuds Keep Popping Out!

Yet another annoyance is this one. We wish for a great audio experience, carefully place the buds in the ear cavity, and switch on the music player. But, what happens? The buds keep slipping out every goddamn minute! And, thus flees the music zealot away from us! Lol!

Source: Quick Meme

Okay, #2 and #3 are signs that your earphone is about to die. Get it replaced now. As for #4 and #5, well, there’s no other option than to take it with a grain of salt. However, I am pretty sure there must be a solution to #1. Do you know the hack? If yes, then kindly share!

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:

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.

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:

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Five Duplicate File Finder and Remover Software You Must Try

Duplicate files are the identical copies of certain files on your computer, which accumulate as a result of excessive copy-pasting errors, repeated attempts of data download or even when you store the same file in two different locations on your disk drive.

Identical files eat up memory and storage space of your computer, making it difficult for you to manage files. It creates a sense of confusion, making identification of the correct version of files inconvenient. Above all, it makes backup a time-consuming process unnecessarily. This is why you need tools for identifying such files and removing them with ease. Here is a list of top five duplicate file finder and remover software, which you definitely need to try:

1. Duplicate Cleaner:

This software is fast and efficient. It lets you find files by name, content, or date. You can find identical images or even compare duplicate music files with the help of tags. You can look for files locally or on the network. The pro version of the software has added features like Duplicate Folder Views, Image Comparison, Zip File Search and other amazing aspects.

Image Source: Dailydownloaded.com

Key features: The software features a Selection Assistant tool which assists in choosing the files to be removed. You can trash these files, or copy them to another location. Also, built-in safeguards ensure that the process is secure.

2. Anti-Twin:

Anti-Twin is comparatively a small software for duplicate file identification on hard disk drives. The software helps in managing disk storage spaces via direct file deletion. It is a freeware and available for use in various international languages as well.

Image Source: Anti-Twin

Key features: Identical files can be searched for, sent directly to the recycle bin, or completely deleted. There is even an option for comparing the entire binary content of two or more files. In other words, the software is dependent not just on the name of the files, but their content, too.

3. Easy Duplicate Finder:
This duplicate file detecting software is rich in features and promises to control the unruliness of files in your computer. Although it is a powerful, effective program, it often tend to be buggy. The interface of Easy Duplicate Finder is old-fashioned, but user-friendly.

Image Source: Easy Duplicate Finder

Key features: The software lets you scan folders and sub-folders by simply dragging and dropping. Various filters are available for scanning duplicate files according to types, file size limits and folder exclusion, too.

4. Auslogics:
Recommended by experts, the Auslogics Duplicate File Finder is a freeware with no term limitations, both for personal as well as commercial use. Because the program runs on smart algorithms, it allows file comparison using not only file names, but also content. This feature is helpful because it dismisses all false search results.

Image Source: Auslogics

Key features: Intelligent algorithms of the program ensures that no false search results. Also, you can specify file types, scan search results and manually delete identical files. The program is very safe and effective in multiple tests.

5. CloneSpy:
CloneSpy, the duplicate file detecting program, lets you perform quick scans, which is helpful in performing identical file cleanup in a jiffy. Once you have the results, you can manually remove the unwanted files from your computer system. Scans can be carried out by specifying file names and content.

Image Source: CloneSpy

Key features: The program helps in finding the older versions of identical files. The biggest advantage of this software is that it lets you identify files that contain zero data, but still occupy space in your computer storage.

Duplicate file identifier and deleter software are very much needed as we can easily lose track of those millions of images, videos, music files and documents thronging in our computer system. Moreover, if you are running out of disk space, it is better to have your system cleaned properly with the help of such programs.