Kacey Kroh, Abshier House

Article / Updated 09-11-2024

Android Auto is a new feature available for your Droid smartphone. Because cellphone-related car accidents are on the rise, many major automobile manufacturers have decided to implement a safer way to use your smartphone while driving. Once your Droid is connected to your automobile, the phone’s screen will be mirrored on the display of your car stereo. Credit: Image courtesy of Android.com Android Auto gives you a hands-free option for operating your smartphone while driving. What do you need to use Android Auto? Before you can use the new Android Auto safety feature, you will need to take a couple of things into consideration. Do you have an Android smartphone running OS 5.0 or higher? The Android Auto safety feature is only available on 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher. If your smartphone is running an older Android OS, unfortunately, you will not be able to use Android Auto. Update your device (if applicable) to Android 5.0+. If your device is unable to update to Lollipop and you want this new feature, a new phone purchase may be required. Do you have a data plan through your cellphone provider? Because Android Auto uses data-rich applications such as the voice assistant Google Now (Ok Google) Google Maps, and many third-party music streaming applications, it is necessary for you to have a data plan. An unlimited data plan is the best way to avoid any surprise charges on your wireless bill. Do you have a compatible car or supported aftermarket stereo? Many 2016 automobile models and aftermarket stereos will support Android Auto. If a new car purchase is not in your near future, an aftermarket stereo is a great option. Check the Android Auto page to see if the car or stereo you wish to purchase is supported. What is included with Android Auto? The built in applications supported by Android Auto are listed as follows: Google Maps: The Google Maps app offers directions, road and traffic conditions, as well as travel time. Get directions quickly and accurately. Messages: The Messages application will read incoming text messages. You speak your response into the car stereo/microphone. Android translates your speech into a text and sends it to your recipient. Messages paired with Android Auto allow you to keep your eyes on the road instead of on your Droid. Music: The Music app allows access to the stored music on your smartphone. You can rock out to all your favorite jams directly from the car stereo. Home: Home is a shortcut icon that takes you directly to your Home screen. Here, you can quickly see all of your supported applications and safely make your selection while driving. Phone: The Phone app, paired with Android Auto, allows you to make and receive calls through your car stereo. When a call is coming in, your music or audio pauses and you will hear the ringtone instead. Take or reject the call and the music resumes as soon as you are finished. Applications such as Pandora, Spotify, Google Play Music, and many more are supported. Search the Google Play Store for additional applications. To access other supported applications while your phone is connected to Android Auto, you simply download the applications to your smartphone and coordinating icons will display on your car stereo. If no extra icons are displayed then no supported applications have been downloaded. Keep in mind that Android Auto is not an OS built into your car stereo, but is a feature that allows your phone to display on the screen in your car. Most Android Auto-supported stereos also support Apple CarPlay.

Article / Updated 02-22-2024

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) hosts a basketball tournament every year that begins the week of March 19. The tournament includes 68 men’s teams and 68 women’s teams. (The NCAA expanded the women's field from 64 to 68 in 2022.) The men’s tournament is televised on CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV network affiliate stations; the women’s tournament will be available on ESPN, the ESPN app, ABC (for the title game), and Sling TV. The schedule for the 2024 men’s NCAA March Madness tournament is as follows: Selection Sunday: March 17 (brackets, seeds, and team selections) First four: March 19-20 First round: March 21-22 Second round: March 23-24 Sweet 16: March 28-29 Elite Eight: March 30-31 Final Four: April 6 National Championship: April 8 The schedule for the 2024 women’s NCAA March Madness tournament is as follows: Selection Sunday: March 17 (brackets, seeds, and team selections) First four: March 20-21 First round: March 22-23 Second round: March 24-25 Sweet 16: March 29-30 Elite Eight: March 31-April 1 Final Four: April 5 National Championship: April 7 Selection Sunday Each year on Selection Sunday, 32 teams gain automatic entry into the tournament due to winning their conference’s championships. The remaining teams rely on a selection committee to be granted entry into the tournament. This process takes place on the Sunday before the March Madness Tournament begins and, therefore, is appropriately named Selection Sunday. It is also the day when the brackets and seeds are released to the public. Brackets are the format in which the tournament runs. For example, on the day of the First Four games, there will be four brackets and eight teams playing; the four losing teams will then be removed from the tournament and the four winning teams will move to their new brackets and prepare for the next round of games. After the First Four, the regular tournament begins with 64 brackets including the winning teams that played in the First Four. The winner from each bracket will move on to the next set of brackets until eventually all teams have been “weeded” out and only two remain to play for the championship game. Seeds are essentially committee rankings. The teams in each division are ranked in descending order, with the strongest team (or team most likely to win) ranked in the number-one spot and the weakest team in that division is ranked number 16. The brackets are split up accordingly so the tournament's powerhouse teams are evenly distributed within the 64 brackets. The First Four round The First Four refers to the number of matches/brackets played — not number of teams. The First Four includes the eight lowest ranking teams in the men's division that play against each other, and the four losing teams are removed from the tournament. This part of the tournament is also known as “First Four Out” since four of the teams will lose out of the tournament before it even has really begun. The First Four Out was designed to get the 68 men's teams down to 64 so that the number of teams is the same as in the women's divisions. The brackets and dates, therefore, can be the same for both the men and women divisions. This part of the tournament applies only to the men's teams. In the First Round, those 64 teams play against each other to move on to the Second Round. Second round In the Second Round, the remaining 32 teams play in 16 brackets, and the winners of each bracket then move on to the regional semi-finals (Sweet 16 round); the losers again are removed from the tournament. Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds The regional semi-finals, also known as the Sweet Sixteen, is where the final sixteen teams are set up in matches against other teams within their regional divisions. The divisions are broken up into geographical areas and listed as follows: East West South Midwest The winners of the regional semi-finals are then moved to the regional finals where only eight teams remain, known as the Elite Eight. These eight teams play head-to-head to determine the winners, and the remaining four teams from all regions are matched up in the national semi-finals. The Final Four After regional finals, the remaining four teams from all regions are eligible to play in the national semi-finals. These remaining four teams are known as “The Final Four,” and this is where many people start watching the tournament. The final four teams then play, and the two winners from the national semi-finals move on to the national finals. Championship game The national finals or championship game is where the final two teams play to determine the winner of the current year's March Madness tournament. The NCAA has changed the format of the game several times in its history, as well as the name. In recent years the name of the tournament has been simply “NCAA Division 1 Tournament,” but the more popular March Madness title will always remain.

Article / Updated 03-28-2023

Since the 1980s, fantasy baseball has become a popular way to interact with the baseball games you watch and love. With fantasy baseball leagues popping up all over the place, you may be asking yourself what the point of this game is, and how to join a league to get in on the action. To play fantasy baseball you first must understand the basics of fantasy sports and the whole reason behind joining a league. Fantasy baseball basics Fantasy baseball can be played in many different ways, which can determine how you score players and how the winner of the league is selected. The most common variation of playing fantasy baseball is called Rotisserie. In this version, each person in the league compiles a team of real players; the players are scored by category; and the person with the highest cumulative point totals at the end of the season wins. The categories for scoring points are as follows: Team batting average (total number of hits divided by total number of at-bats) Team earned run average (total number of earned runs times 9 and then divided by total innings) Total home runs Total runs scored Total saves Total stolen bases Total strikeouts Total team WHIPs (total number of walks allowed by pitcher divided by total innings) Total wins This configuration is the most common and is known as a “5x5 fantasy baseball league,” referencing the five hitting stats and five pitching stats that are used for scoring. Some leagues adopt more or less scoring categories depending on the complexity of the league. Keep in mind that some leagues score weekly as opposed to a cumulative end-of-season scoring schedule. If you are in a league that scores weekly, you have more chances for your team to win, in either specific categories or as a whole. New twists on the game have emerged, including versions such as: Daily fantasy baseball. You choose your team from players that are playing on that particular game day, and total the points at the end of the day to choose the victor. This version is a great way to learn how to play a whole season without getting too invested in both time and money. Head-to-head. You pit your whole team against another person’s team and score your points for the week. The person with the most points wins, but instead of winning in each category — like with the standard rotisserie style rules — you receive just one win for the week. Round-robin. This scenario follows the entire season, scoring your wins and losses, and the winner is determined by which team has the best win/loss record for the season. Single-elimination. A set number of teams play a single-elimination tournament to decide the victor. For instance, if your team at any point loses, you are done and out of the tournament. If the team wins, you move on to the next match, and so on until a team wins the season and cashes in. Another popular feature included in most fantasy baseball leagues is the ability to trade players. Trading can be done in one of two ways. Your league can choose to include a trading floor where all players can trade together and all trades are done in public. You league can opt to allow trades privately between different team owners. This version often causes conflict within the league, and usually results in an impartial judge (non-league member) determining whether or not the trades are fair. The reason you might want to trade players can be complex. Some people trade players to get rid of a bad player. Others trade a group of bad or mediocre players for one really good player. Often when trading players or creating a roster from scratch, each team is restricted by a salary cap. Each player is assigned a salary; if you select all top-notch players, you will exceed your salary cap. This rule keeps the better players more evenly distributed among league members to prevent one team from having all the higher ranked players. Why join a fantasy baseball league? Now that you have a generalized grasp on how the game works, you can find a fantasy baseball league that follows the rules by which you want to play. Many league options are available online, and more personal games can be found at your local watering hole or a friend’s man-cave. Approach playing fantasy baseball with the goal of finding new friends who love baseball as much as you do. Of course, you also might have the opportunity to win a nice chunk of change!

Article / Updated 12-03-2021

Since Apple CarPlay has been introduced, you may be curious about whether or not your car is equipped with this new safety feature. Most automobile manufacturers have already started incorporating Apple CarPlay into many of their upcoming models. If the make and model you desire is not in the list below, contact the automobile manufacturer and ask if they plan to include this feature in a future model you wish to purchase. Keep in mind that most dealerships will install anything you want into the car to finalize a sale — this includes aftermarket equipment (for a fee, of course). Compiled below is a cheat sheet on which cars currently offer Apple CarPlay: Make Model Year Acura NSX 2017 Audi A4 Q7 2017 2017 Buick LaCrosse Regal 2016 2016 Cadillac ATS ATS Coupe ATS-V CT6 CTS ELR Escalade Escalade-ESV XTS 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Chevrolet Bolt Camaro Camaro Convertible Colorado Corvette Corvette Convertible Cruze Impala Malibu Silverado Silverado-HD Spark Suburban Tahoe Volt 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Citroen Berlingo C3 C4 C5 2016 2016 2016 2016 DS AUTO DS 3 DS 3 Cabrio DS 4 DS 5 2016 2016 2016 2016 Ferrari 488 GBT 488 Spider California T Berlinetta F12 TDF FF 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Ford Escape 2016 GMC Canyon Sierra Yukon Yukon XL 2016 2016 2016 2016 Honda Accord Civic Ridgeline 2016 2016 2017 Hyundai Sonata Elantra 2016 2017 KIA Forte 5 2017 Mercedes-Benz A-Class B-Class CLA-Class CLS-Class E-Class GLA-Class GLE-Class 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Pajero Sport Mirage 2016 2016 2017 OPEL Adam Astra Corsa Insignia KARL 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Peugeot 208 Partner T 2016 2016 Porsche 911 718 Boxster Macan 2016 2017 2017 Seat Alhambra Ibiza Leon Toledo 2016 2016 2016 2016 Skoda Fabia Octavia Rapid Superb Yeti 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Suzuki Baleno Ciaz SX4 S-Cross Vitara 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Volkswagen Beetle CC E-Golf Fox Golf GTI Lamando Passat Polo Scirocco Sharan Spacefox Tiguan Touran 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 Volvo XC90 S90 2016 2017 Keep in mind other car manufacturers such as BMW, Dodge, Scion, Toyota, and many others plan to offer Apple CarPlay in future models, but have not yet released information on which models they plan to include. Not to worry. If you have already purchased a new car and it is not equipped with Apple CarPlay, you can always have an aftermarket stereo installed that does support this new feature. When picking out an aftermarket stereo make sure the packaging sports the Apple CarPlay logo. Big name manufacturers such as Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer have already started releasing models that include Apple CarPlay. Check with the stereo manufacturer to see if the stereo you wish to purchase is supported.

Article / Updated 10-22-2021

Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging feature built into Facebook. Messenger originally launched in 2011 and its success gave rise to a dedicated application and website that emerged in 2014. The application and website is an instant messaging service that connects to the Facebook database and replaced the in-app Facebook messaging service. It allows Facebook users to connect with each other and send instant messages, photos, videos, and perform other tasks. With a recent update you can now send money to friends within Facebook Messenger. You can get the weather and place product orders with the help of Facebook Bots, and you can also get a quick ride with the integration of Uber and Lyft. How to get Facebook Messenger In order to use Facebook Messenger you must first have a Facebook account. You can sign up through the Facebook mobile application or by visiting Facebook.com. If you already have a Facebook account, or just created one, you can continue by downloading the Facebook Messenger application from Google Play, App Store, Windows Phone Store, or by visiting Messenger.com. How to use the Facebook Messenger website Using the Facebook Messenger website is like using any other instant messaging application. Simply click or tap on the compose button and select the person/s you would like to chat with and then start typing. To send photos or videos: Tap or click on the photo icon along the bottom of the screen. To send stickers: Tap or click on the smiley face icon along the bottom of the screen. To send moving GIF files: Tap or click on the GIF icon along the bottom of the screen. To send emoji: Tap or click on the four smiley face icons along the bottom of the screen. To send money: Tap or click on the dollar icon along the bottom of the screen. To send a quick like: Tap or click on the thumbs-up icon along the bottom of the screen. To change the color of the message bubbles: Tap or click on the Change Color link along the right side of the screen. To change the names of the people chatting with you: Tap or click on the Edit Nicknames link along the right side of the screen. To change the main emoji for the conversation group: Tap or click on the Change Emoji link along the right side of the screen. You cannot use the call feature through the Messenger.com website, but it is available through the Facebook.com. How to use the Facebook Messenger mobile application Using the Facebook Messenger Application is a bit different from the website version. When you first launch the application you will be presented with a home screen that shows your contacts, messages, and favorite threads. Along the bottom of the application screen is a navigation bar that includes five icons/buttons: Home: The Home screen allows you to send new messages to friends and family and displays all of your message threads. Here you can create favorite threads, send emoji and stickers, send and receive photos and/or videos, get a ride from Uber or Lyft, or send money to friends. Calls: The Call screen allows you to place phone calls to people in your contact list and displays a call log history. Groups: The Group screen allows you to group people by category. Friends, Family, Dinner parties, Work or social events – no group is too big or small. People The People screen allows you to find people in your contact list and indicates which ones use the Messenger application. Here, you can send invites to others to start using the application or connect with people who already use it. Me: The Me screen is where you can view your profile information and share your Messenger link and phone number. Here you can also scan QR-codes to quickly add others to your contact list. The Facebook Messenger app has all the same functionality as the website, with two additional icons. To get a ride from Uber or Lyft: Tap on the car icon. To user more features such as Dropbox, Bitmoji, GIF keyboard, and more: Tap on the more/message bubble icon. How to use Facebook Messenger Bots Using the new bot (short for robot) feature is easy. Simply open a new message thread and perform a search for the bot of your choice or add the link from their website. For example, if you choose Burger King, you can send a message that you are hungry and the bot will take your order. There are bots for companies like 1-800-flowers, CNN, eBay, Expedia, and many more with additional options added daily. Simply follow the conversation to complete your task. You can also get information on the stock market, view the weather, plan vacations, and chat with customer support.

Article / Updated 10-06-2021

If you are an old bebo.com user, then you may have had a heck of a time trying to keep your account content when the social networking platform was sold to AOL (America Online) and then bought back by the original creators, who relaunched in February 2021. During the transition from Bebo Inc., to AOL and back again, many users found it difficult to retrieve their uploaded blogs, photos, and posts. If you are or were a diehard bebo.com user and logged in regularly to keep your account active, you probably want to maintain and save all of your old online content. Due to the transition to and from AOL, some users stopped visiting the site regularly. Consequently, their accounts have been disabled and removed from the Bebo archive. Accessing the archives If your account was still active prior to the Bebo transformation into a social messaging application, chances are you will be able to retrieve all of your lost blogs, photos, and posts. To access Bebo’s archives, follow these steps: To access the old content, you first must download the Bebo application from either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. After you have installed this application, launch Bebo and follow the steps to create a new account. Do not use the same credentials with your new account as the old ones you used on bebo.com. Reports of old accounts being deactivated have been noted, and some additional users have lost their archived material due to the same username/password combination causing confusion on the Bebo application’s servers. After you have created your new account, you can send a hashtag message to anyone as follows: #oldphotos. Instantly a window will pop-up asking for your old Bebo account information. Enter your username or e-mail and password to the old Bebo account and press continue. Make sure you are putting in your old bebo.com account info and not the new info you just created! E-mail then will be sent to you via the e-mail associated with your account containing links to all your old bebo.com content. Bebo Inc., claims #oldphotos doesn’t work for just old photos but also for old posts and blogs as well and is trying to rectify the issues caused by AOL. If you are one of the lucky ones and get to keep your archived content, great! Otherwise, be prepared to say goodbye to the content in case it is lost forever, and perhaps next time consider a hard copy backup directly on your computer, external hard drive, or memory card for safe keeping. Good Luck!

Article / Updated 10-04-2021

The allure to visit the graves of your ancestors is an innate part of what makes you a human being. Discovering how to find a person’s grave can seem like a daunting task. Because family trees can become complicated or lost, it may be difficult for you to locate the grave for each and every one of your loved ones. However, there are resources available to help you find a person’s grave. You can start by sleuthing your family tree. There are websites like Ancestry.com that will make the process much easier for you, but it will cost you a fee. Collect vital information to find a person’s grave If you are hoping to find the grave of a specific relative, then you will need to have some vital record information: Full name (first, middle, last) Date of birth Date of death Location of death You can find full names and birthdates on family bibles or baptismal and census records. Ask the members of your family if they have any old family documents. Sometimes, the abbreviations can be difficult to decipher. This list of genealogy abbreviations can help. The date and location of death can be found in local newspaper obituary archives. Most archives have been converted into digital files and can be easily found through the newspapers’ websites. If you’re really lucky, you will already have the birth and death certificates of the loved one in question and can set off to find the grave without needing to seek out other documentation. Use vital information to find a person’s grave Armed with the proper vital information, you can now take a few different routes to find a person's grave: Contact funeral homes that were in business during the time of death and see if they have any records of your ancestor: In most cases, you will be told which cemetery to search. Contact the city or county clerk’s office: Ask for the Vital Records Department. If you get a recording, leave a message and wait seven to ten days for a call back. (In some states, like Arizona, vital records are private or sealed and you need to prove you are a relative of the deceased and pay a fee for any information.) Go online to a burial website dedicated to locating gravestones: BillionGraves.com and FindAGrave.com are the two leading sites for this purpose. Volunteers take photos of gravestones and regularly upload them to both of these sites. Simply enter the vital information and the site will tell you where a person is located and will usually include a photo of the gravestone. How to find a person's grave after you find the cemetery Once you’ve established whether the person was cremated or buried and which cemetery contains the grave, take the time to look up the cemetery’s website. Most modern cemeteries have websites with maps making relatives and family plots easy to find. If the cemetery is small and has no website, you will need to contact the caretaker or administrator and ask them for the location of the grave. Keep in mind, no two cemeteries are the same. Because plots are purchased and families are often buried together, you will find that there is no logical pattern to where grave sites are located. The standard cemetery map breaks down locations into blocks, lots, and sections. These numbers can be found engraved on the side of most gravestones. For example: The red area indicates that a grave would be located in block 1, lot 4, section 6 of the cemetery. After you have found the resting place of your lost relative, you may choose to lightly clean the headstone with a dry brush, trim grass, plant flowers, do charcoal rubbings, take photos, or just visit on Memorial Day. Do not use cleaning agents on gravestones because headstones are porous and can be easily damaged by chemicals. Check here to learn more about genealogy.

Article / Updated 06-07-2021

Almost everyone uses email. Like traditional mail, it can pile up if left unchecked. Yahoo! has a nifty feature that helps filter your mail into folders so your email accounts are easier to manage. Knowing how to create a filter in Yahoo! Mail can make your life immensely easier. You can keep organized and create up to 1,000 custom filters in Yahoo! Mail that will sort new messages to the folders that you define. This feature even allows you to send unwanted content to your spam folder or directly place items in the trash. While most spam should already be in the spam folder, some may slip through. Applying a filter in your Yahoo! Mail will help you remove those pesky spam emails that make their way in to your regular inbox. Keep in mind, other email clients like Gmail or Outlook also provide similar features. With Yahoo! Mail, you can connect all or most of your other email accounts and keep other inboxes organized with filters as well. Simply go to Settings→ Accounts → + Add another mailbox from the Settings gear in the top right corner of the Yahoo! Mail home screen. From within the Settings popup window, you can also import and export contacts and do other cool stuff. Play around with the settings to see which configuration works best for you. You can login to your Yahoo! account from any web browser and download the app from Google Play store and Apple’s App Store. How to add a filter in Yahoo! Mail To add a filter is simple. Follow these easy steps to get started with Yahoo! Mail filters: Click or tap on the gear located in the top right corner of the Yahoo! Mail home screen. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. Click or tap on Filters located within the left-hand sidebar of the Settings popup window. Click or tap on the Add button located top-center of the Settings popup window. Enter a filter name in the textbox located on top of the Add Filter popup window. Enter filter criteria just below the filter name textbox within the Add Filter popup window. Select or create destination folder from the drop-down list located along the bottom of the Add Filter popup window. Click or tap the Save button to finalize your changes. Adding a filter in Yahoo! Mail has never been easier! You can manage your filters from the Filter screen within the Settings popup window. Prioritize your list by dragging items up and down in order of importance. If you need help with other Yahoo! related tasks, you can always visit the Yahoo! help page for further assistance. Keep in mind, filters will only work for new email, any existing email will need to me moved into folders manually. How to edit a filter in Yahoo! Mail If you made a filter and it isn’t behaving normally, or you want to change the way it behaves, you can do so just as easily as creating a new filter. To edit a filter: Click or tap on the Settings Select Settings from the drop-down menu. Select Filters from the left-hand sidebar. Choose a filter from the list and click or tap on the Edit button along the top of the popup window. Edit your filter and click or tap the Save button along the bottom of the popup window. You can also delete filters by choosing one from your list and simply clicking or tapping on the Delete button on top of the Filters screen from within the Settings popup window.

Article / Updated 06-21-2019

Since digital photography went mainstream, it has become very easy to take multiple photos of yourself (known as selfies) before you pick your favorite and share it with others. If you are interested in taking and sharing selfies with your friends and family, consider the following before getting started. What style or type of selfie are you looking to take? How is the lighting in the area you are snapping the selfie? What kind of camera do you plan to use to shoot your selfie montage? Do you plan on using selfie accessories? Are you going to use an image editing application after you snap the selfie? Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Photolyric Taking the perfect selfie is trickier than you might think. Selfie styles and types While the whole purpose behind taking a selfie is to show your mood or expression, you can choose from several different selfie styles to help accentuate your expression. The following list describes the different types of selfie styles: Comical selfie — You take a selfie while doing something absurd or funny. This can be in the form of a funny face or possibly performing a funny action; the possibilities are endless. Glamour selfie — You dress in your best clothes and get your hair done. Then after you take the selfie you put it through a selfie app to fix any imperfections before you save a copy and share it. Group selfie — You get a group of friends, family, or co-workers together and take the selfie in a closely pressed together pile of people. This type of selfie would be the most appropriate in which to use selfie accessories, such as the Selfie Stick, Bluetooth Shutter button, and a panoramic lens. Memorable selfie — You take the photo to capture a memory. This can be while visiting a famous landmark or experiencing an extraordinary event such at a marriage proposal. (Most likely you will not be taking selfies at the actual wedding . . . That's what professional photographers are for!) Selfie with a cause — You take the selfie while performing an act for some higher cause. Two examples of this type of selfie would be the armpit hair selfie; where women take photos of their faces pressed against their own unshaved armpits to protest unrealistic beauty standards. As well as the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge selfie, where you take the selfie (photo or video) while a bucket of ice water is dumped on your head. There are many more variations on these selfie types — some even combine multiple selfie styles. Only your imagination can limit your selfie creativity. Proper selfie lighting When considering lighting for your perfect selfie, you must know that smartphone and tablet cameras are notorious for catching fine wrinkles, eye bags, uneven skin tones and a whole slew of other imperfections many people nitpick over. The proper lighting solves most of these issues brought on by digital photography. When outdoors during the day take the selfie with you facing toward the sun and the camera facing away to avoid glare and images washed out by too much light exposure. When indoors or outside at night — enable the camera's flash (if it has one) and make sure the area is evenly lit from all sides so the camera doesn't catch any unpleasant shadows. Best selfie camera practices Most likely, if you are taking a selfie, you are doing so with your smartphone or tablet. Many smartphones and tablets are equipped with front- and rear-facing cameras. Typically the front-facing camera is designed for Apple's FaceTime, Google Voice, or even Microsoft's Skype. These cameras are not good for taking pictures simply because of the low pixel ratio. If you are looking to take a high-quality selfie with your smartphone or tablet, then you have to use the rear-facing camera. Today, most smart device's rear-facing cameras snap photos in 1080 HD, Super HD (2x 1080), or even Ultra HD (4x 1080). To take a great selfie with the rear-facing camera on your phone or tablet may be tricky since many of these devices do not offer a way to frame up the shot and see what the phone's camera is actually snapping. A simple work around to this is a compact mirror and a piece of double sided tape. Simply attach the mirror to the rear-side of the phone or tablet just below the camera lens and remove it as soon as you are done. Using selfie accessories Because selfies have become so popular in recent times, several cellphone accessories have been developed for smartphones and tablets that are based on the selfie concept. Three such selfie accessories, the Selfie Stick, Bluetooth Shutter button, and clip-on lenses, have launched into the market, enabling you to take selfies more easily. The Selfie Stick holds the phone farther away from your body so you can take a selfie with the background visible while also allowing more space in the photo for a group of friends or family to join in. The Bluetooth shutter button is used to take the selfie while the phone is out of reach (attached to the Selfie Stick.) This allows you to take the pictures without setting the shutter-timer. Clip-on lenses offer different types of selfie shots without having to process the photo in a photo-editing application. Color lenses can provide filters, while the fisheye lens, macro lens, and panoramic lens can distort the photo in different interesting ways. Putting your selfie through an image editing app If you choose to edit your selfie, many apps are available on multiple operating systems. Chances are you will find more selfie apps than you will ever need on whatever smart device or computer you prefer. The following apps are great for the comical selfie style: Baldify — Shows different stages of hair loss. Fatify — Distorts extra pounds to your cheeks and chin. Oldify — Will give you wrinkles, grey hair, eye bags, and age spots. Zombify — Turns you into a brain-eating zombie… AGHH! The following apps are great for all other selfie types: FaceTune — Adjusts skin tone, hair and skin color, texture, and background/foreground focus. Fotor — Adds borders, effects, filters, frames, and text. (Available on all platforms including Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and PC as well as online.) Photoshop Express — Adjusts lighting, removes redeye, applies filters, and crops photo size. Simply perform a search in your device's app store for the style of selfie you want to take and have fun. When posting photos of yourself online, never post anything sexual or incriminating. After the digital imprint of the photo is on the Web, there is no undoing it. Yes, you can delete the original, but there is a chance that someone, somewhere, has saved a copy. Share your selfies responsibly!

Article / Updated 03-27-2018

Sprint training is an exercise regimen that burns fat, builds muscle, and boosts BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). Because studies have shown that short bursts of running are more efficient than long walks or jogs, sprint training is becoming the recommended method of choice for cardiovascular exercise. With sprint training, there are two basic ways to achieve ideal results: Flat sprints Incline sprints You will only want to perform sprint training exercises a couple times a week. All sprint training is high intensity and high impact. You should allow yourself at least 48-hours of rest between workouts to prevent injury. What are flat sprints? Flat-sprints are the perfect way for a beginner to start with sprint training. To perform flat sprints you will run at high speeds on a flat surface. For example, you might sprint on: A running track A sports field A jogging path A sidewalk in your neighborhood Always be aware of your surrounding area. Make sure it provides ample space and is safe for running. What are incline sprints? Incline sprints are more advanced and require more muscle to complete without risk of injury. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you start with flat sprints before moving up to incline sprints. To perform incline sprints, choose a hill with a steep grade and at least 50 yards of running space. For example, you might choose: A city park A hilly road A mountain path Consider traffic, debris, foliage, and lighting. Make sure you perform sprint training in a safe location. How to do sprint training Whether you choose to flat sprint or incline sprint, the method in which you perform sprint training is the same. To get started with sprint training, you will need: A stopwatch A good pair of running shoes or cross trainers Appropriate exercise attire Drinking water When you have decided on a location, warm up by speed walking or jogging for about three minutes on your chosen route. If you are an incline sprinter, you can jog in place for three minutes before doing some dynamic stretches. Then, start sprinting uphill. Your sprint time will be determined by how long you have been sprint training. Beginners usually sprint in 30-second increments. Seasoned sprinters usually sprint for 180 seconds (two and a half minutes per sprint). Each burst of sprinting is followed by a rest period. The rest period is not for standing around or sitting, but rather for walking back to your starting spot (so you can get ready to sprint again). The constant movement helps you avoid muscle cramps while your body continues to burn calories. Repeat the run, rest, run actions, increasing your intensity (speed) each time. Begin the first sprint at 50 percent intensity, ending your last sprint at 100 percent intensity. Give the final sprint everything you’ve got. Always remember to stay hydrated and consider sprinting indoors during extreme weather.